The Sindh government provides stipends in four different categories to students of about 6,985 religious schools through its Zakat and Usher Department, the Sindh Assembly was informed Friday.

Replying to queries placed by the provincial lawmakers during the assembly's questions and answers session in the absence of concerned minister, Parliamentary Secretary for the Sindh Zakat and Usher Department, Heer Ismail Soho said that the government has four stipends slabs for religious schools. She said that there are different amount of stipends for different categories.

She said that from category one to three, the government provides Rs 500 a student to religious schools imparting also education from primary to Matric, Rs 750 from above Matric and Rs 1000 to those teaching Masters. "The amount is allocated on a semester basis," the parliamentary secretary said, adding that the stipends for category four religious schools ranging up Rs 750 from Rs 150 for imparting Nazira, Hifz, Hadith, etc. To an observation, she said that the NAB had started inquiry into the department's financial accounts but latter it cleared them. The house witnessed thin attendance as Deputy Speaker Rehana Leghari later prorogued the assembly.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019