Govt considering to privatize zakat distribution process
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Religious Affairs’ Minister Ejazul Haq Monday said that government is considering to privatize zakat distribution process to make it reliable.
Minister said an amount of Rs. 65 -70 billion is distributed in the country every year as zakat and saddaqat (charity) but the government collects only around Rs. 4.5 billion.
He said that people hesitate to deposit their zakat money in government fund due to lack of confidence in the distribution process.
This scenario has emerged due involvement of political activists in the process the Minister said and added it is under these conditions the government is considering to privatize the zakat distribution process.
He said around 4.5 billion people live below the poverty line in the country and deserve zakat money.
Since collection in government funds is minimum, all of them cannot be accommodated, the Minister said.
He said Rs. 1.2 billion is given to vocational training institutes in Punjab every year and these institution provide state of the art technical training to the deserving. These youth after training become financially self