LANDIKOTAL: Chairman of the district zakat committee, Khyber tribal district, Maulana Ihsanullah Junaidi Tuesday said Rs36.5 million will be distributed to 2,614 patients in the district through 86 committees.

Addressing a press conference at Landikotal Press Club, Maulana Ihsanullah Junaidi said Rs12,000 zakat funds will be distributed to the patients in the district for their medical treatment. He said the amount has been paid to different hospitals in form of cheques according to the number of patients admitted.

Giving further details, the Maulana said Rs500,000 have been given to District Headquarters Hospital Landikotal, Rs286,000 to Civil Hospital Khar and Rs300,000 to Bara Hospital. He said a committee comprising three doctors and a member of zakat committee has been formed to make strategy for distribution of cheques for treatment of patients. He made it clear that no patient will be given cash, but the money will be provided to hospital for medical treatment. He said the patients who are suffering from life-threatening diseases will be referred to other big hospitals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the zakat committee will provide treatment charges.

The zakat committee chairman said the hospital purchasing medicines for patients will have to enter an agreement with a medicine store. He said medicines could not be purchased from other shop and audit of all purchases will be conducted after every three months to make sure that no corruption happens in the whole process.

Maulana Junaidi directed all the zakat committees not to send cash amount to anyone as the amount is meant for treatment of deserving patients. He said the treatment of life-threatening diseases like diseases of heart, kidneys, cancer etc. will also be carried out in other hospitals. He said the zakat office was previously situated in Peshawar which has been shifted to Jamrud now for the convenience of the needy people of Khyber district.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) local leaders Zakir Ali Shinwari, Bilal Afridi and Usman Ghani Afridi were also present at the press conference.

Social circles welcomed the announcement of the zakat committee chairman for helping the needy patients. However, they say, some deserving people may also need cash assistance for their urgent needs, and attention must also be paid to this aspect of zakat distribution.