Thousands of zakat beneficiaries across Rawalpindi Division have been deprived of the customary “special Eid gift” this year, leaving nearly 37,000 underprivileged families struggling to celebrate Eidul Fitr amid soaring inflation.

The affected families belong to six districts — Rawalpindi, Murree, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal and Talagang — where the annual cash assistance of Rs12,000, typically disbursed between the 20th and 25th of Ramazan through digital payment services, has not been issued this year.

According to reports, many women from registered beneficiary families have been visiting zakat council offices daily in the hope of receiving funds, only to return home disappointed.

The delay comes against the backdrop of administrative challenges within the zakat system. The legal structure of zakat committees at both district and local levels has yet to be fully constituted.

In Rawalpindi district alone, there are 1,166 local zakat committees alongside a district-level council, yet no regular chairman has been appointed to the district body for the past two and a half years.

At present, the Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner is overseeing the council in an interim capacity, without formally appointed committee members. Meanwhile, the tenure of local zakat committees expired approximately 18 months ago, and teachers have been temporarily assigned as administrators in their place.

Officials say that prolonged ad hoc arrangements have disrupted the functioning of the zakat system, rendering it largely ineffective.

Across all six districts of the division, both district and local zakat committees currently lack regularly elected chairpersons and members.

Officials at the District Zakat Council Rawalpindi have stated that the Rs12,000 Eid assistance will still be provided, attributing the delay to technical reasons.

They confirmed that funds have been allocated and are expected to be transferred to beneficiaries’ accounts later this week or shortly after Eid.

The council added that payments will be made via Easypaisa, with notifications to be issued to registered beneficiaries once the funds are released. Distribution is expected to be completed in the final week of March, following the Eid holidays.

Authorities further indicated that the zakat instalment for the final quarter of the current financial year (April to June) is also due for release. This tranche will include financial assistance for medical treatment and surgeries in public hospitals.