LAHORE - Provincial Zakat and Ushr Minister Malik Nadeem Kamran on Tuesday told the Punjab Assembly that the government had launched soft loan pilot programme for diploma holders of technical training institutions.
Answering questions by members during question-hour session, he said, the programme had been initiated to enable diploma holders to earn livelihood at their own.
Soft loans are given in three instalments and there was no interest on the loans, he added.
He said, Zakat committees would start working in Rajanpur, Layyah and Mandi Bahauddin in next 15 days.
He said, Zakat department cannot run hospitals with meagre funds rather the health department was responsible for doing the job.
However, he said, Zakat department provided funds to deserving patients
in hospitals and financial assistance to registered seminaries under the provided rules.
Earlier, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah responding to a resolution by an opposition lawmaker Mian Aslam Iqbal said that the house fully endorsed the on-going anti-terrorism operation and acknowledge the services and sacrifices of personalities and the institutions endeavouring to establish peace in the country.
He expressed the government’s resolve to continue fight against terrorism till the killing of last terrorist.
The house disposed of a resolution of Jamaat e Islami’s Dr Wasim Akhtar regarding interest-free loans to farmers.
It also disposed of another resolution of Sibtain Khan about installation of water filtration plant at government schools across the province.