SWABI: An amount of Rs5.4 million would be distributed among poor girls as dowry fund, district Zakat committee head Iqbal Ahmad Khan told Dawn here on Friday.

He said poor families had approached the district Zakat office to seek help to purchase dowry for their girls. He said the Zakat office staff thoroughly studied each case, and selected the most deserving ones for the cash award.

Mr Ahmad said numerous families in Swabi needed dowry fund. “Whenever we receive the dowry fund we quickly distribute it among the deserving girls,” he remarked.

He said any deserving girl could fill a form available in the zakat office and submit it for the money. He said a total of 180 girls would get dowry fund before the end of the current financial year with each girl getting Rs30, 000. He said they had also started receiving applications from persons with disabilities and poor students for cash assistance.

Source: Dawn