One year on, thousands of widows, disabled and patients await resumption of financial assistance
The federal government has finally made the much-awaited appointment of the Managing Director (MD) of the Pakistan Baitul Mal (PBM) as thousands of needy people—the disabled, patients, widows, students and elderly persons— have been suffering for one year waiting for the resumption of financial assistance.
Navid Ahmed Sheikh a BPS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) currently posted as Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Safety Division has been given additional charge of the MD PBM for a period three months or till the appointment of a regular MD, says a notification issued recently on Dec 6.
The post of the MD had fallen vacant when the former MD, Syed Tariq Mahmoodul Hassan resigned from the post on March 13, 2024 hardly a month after his appointment on February 15.
Since March this year, the post remained vacant and the sufferings of the poor and the needy multiplied because their assistance was stopped and there was none to address the issue.
Even before Tariq Mahmoodul Hassan the MD’s seat remained vacant for almost three months when Tariq’s predecessor Amir FidaParach who had streamlined the affairs and expedited the financial assistance and other PBM projects, abruptly resigned from his post on Dec 19, 2023 to participate in the general elections scheduled for February 8, 2024.
In this way, the seat virtually remained without a head for one year.
A senior official of the PBM while talking to Pakistan Observer said the new MD too would see the day-to-day affairs as his powers are restricted only to approve scholarships and medical assistance. The poor, the needy, the disabled, elderly and the widows, all will have to wait till the appointment of a regular MD, he said.
Talking to this scribe, Akram, father of a disabled (polio affected) boy complained that his entire family was suffering due to sudden stoppage of the financial assistance. We need revival of the assistance for my son’s education as well as medical treatment but those at the PBM tell it would be restored only after the appointment of the new MD.
NasreenBibi, a 65-year widow also awaits the PBM’s aid which has been disrupted for over a year. Akram, NasreenBibi and scores of others are still not sure whether the appointment of the new MD would provide them the much-need relief.
They appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to make sure the process of financial assistance goes without disruption whether there is an MD or not.
