All the bank branches in the country have made arrangements for the deduction of Zakat from various accounts that fall in the category of Zakat deductible, reports UPP correspondent.
Most people expect that the Ramazan will begin from the night between Friday and Saturday and, therefore, Zakat deduction would be made from the accounts in the commercial bank, subject to eligibility, on the 1st day of Ramazan, which will be hopefully on Saturday.
In case the Ramazan moon is not sighted on the evening of Friday then the Ramazan will begin from Sunday and the bank holiday for Zakat deduction will be on Monday next. It may be mentioned here that persons belonging to the Fiqh-e-Jafaria are exempt from Zakat deduction on production of a certificate to that effect.
Insiders claim that a very large number of persons, who are not members of the Fiqh-e-Jafaria, have filed affidavits in the past claiming they belong to the Fiqh-e-Jafaria so that they can avoid paying Zakat on their accounts. It is gathered that this matter has already come to the notice of the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank.
This matter is being examined with a view to stopping all such false declarations, including the possibility of imposition of heavy fines on those who file false declaration in banks for Zakat deduction exemption.