Daily Times

KARACHI: Sindh Government has disbursed an amount of Rs 159.930 million for funding marriages of 15,993 helpless and deserving girls in the province.

“About 15,993 helpless and deserving girls were disbursed about Rs159.930 million for marriages and also given Rs 10,000 per head to each bride from the Zakat Fund during 2008 to 2013,” said Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Parliamentary Leader in Sindh Assembly, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro here on Wednesday.

He was replying to written and supplementary questions on the Department of Zakat and Usher during Question Hour inthe Sindh assembly session.

All Union Councils in Sindh province posses a detail list of needy and deserving people for Zakat and through that process the provincial government was providing financial help.

During 2015-16, about 81,795 deserving and needy people were given Rs 2,000 per head disbursed on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr as Guzara Allowance.

During 2010 to 2013, Rs 500 per head was disbursed to elderly and needy people on the eve on Eid, later the amount was increased to Rs 2,000 per head.

In Sindh, 85,000 people were issued Benazir Support Card and they received money directly from ATM machines and not from any person or office, Nisar Khuhro added.

While replying to a query of Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) Dr Mohammad Rafiq Ahmed Banbhan regarding disbursement of Zakat in the province, Nisar Khuhro said over 45,000 widows were provided funding from the Zakat Fund. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) senior lawmaker Syed Sardar Ahmed informed the house that in the past a retired judge was supervising Zakat funds for deserving people.

PPP parliamentary minister replied to the Zakat Department complaint that complete authority was not given to him (Retire Judge).

Sindh government is working to make the Zakat Department autonomous and that Zakat should only be disbursed to deserving people. An amount of Rs 4.419 million has been disbursed to deserving people this year (2016).