LARKANA: As many as 110,000 poverty-stricken eligible (Mustahiq) men, women and differently abled persons have been deprived of Zakat Allowance since past two years which they were receiving from Sindh Ushr and Zakat Department after every two months, PPI learnt here on Tuesday.
According to details, after expiry of Benazir Cards Zakat Allowance funds were released upto 2020 on these expired cards but no biometric was carried out of new people despite the fact that their approval was granted by the then provincial minister for Ushr and Zakat. He further ordered the Secretary for shortlisting and carrying out biometric of the eligible shortlisted beneficiaries but it is yet to be done.
The shortlisted people include 3501 of Larkana, Kambar 3501, Jacobabad 3080, 3417 each of Shikarpur and Sukkur, 3704 Naushehro Feroze, 5525 Khairpur, 3705 Shaheed Benazirabad, 1796 Sujawal, 4305 Karachi East, Karachi West 8174, Karachi South 4115 and Hyderabad 5022. In this way 110,000 Mustahiq people were identified to receive the allowance in 29 districts of Sindh.
The Mustahiq women Hajran, Kashmala Khatoon, Basran Khatoon, Mehreen, Saima and others said that they have been running from pillar to post for biometric verification to get the Zakat allowance for the past two years but it has not been done as yet on one pretext or the other. They said they are already facing unprecedented inflation and non-receipt of Zakar allowance has multiplied their hardships and woes as they cannot feed their children two meals. They demanded immediate release of the allowance to end unrest among them and others.
Muhammad Azam Shaikh, Chairman, District Ushr and Zakat Committee, Larkana, when contacted confirmed non-receipt of Zakat allowance to the beneficiaries said that after cancelling old Benazir Cards new updated list was sent to the department in Karachi but unfortunately four ministers and four secretaries have been changed in Ushr and Zakat Department during the same period due to which work is still in doldrums and Mustahiq people have not been able to get their rightful amount. He claimed that after Eid ul Fitr the eligible beneficiaries will get their payment. He further said that “we are also trying to get the outstanding two year’s payment released to the beneficiaries who have suffered a lot for no fault of theirs at all”.
