Several Pakistani immigrants on wrong permits were found to be collecting donations from mosques in Indonesia, bringing a bad name to the Islamic practice of Zakat (donations), media reports said.
The activities of illegal migrants from Pakistan are proving to be challenging for Indonesia.
Zakat which is considered to be one of the pillars of Islam and a noble practice is a form of obligatory charity that has the potential to ease the suffering of millions.
Indonesia, being the most populous Muslim-majority country, is a shining enabler of these virtues including Zakat but the existence of illegal networks from Pakistan is now making the country suffer.
According to local officials, they were found visiting various mosques for collecting unauthorized donations. The authorities plan to deport the individuals to Pakistan soon, reports said.
It was further learnt that the individuals were arrested (April 21) after receiving information from the public that two foreigners were asking local mosques for donations. Both the miscreants were handed over to the police for transfer to the immigration authorities.
As per local media reports, this was the third instance of Pakistanis found to be involved in illegal fund collection in Indonesia, within two months. Earlier, four Pakistanis had already been deported on the same charge.
However, Indonesians are not the only ones to have suffered due to such networks operated by Pakistanis, The Singapore Post reported.
India, which is another major Asian country with a sizeable Muslim population, also became a victim of illegal aid networks.