RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) on Wednesday removed posters of Shaukat Khanum Hospital, seeking Zakat donations for the hospital after expiry of permission but it drew criticism on social media.
In cantonment areas, no political and religious parties as well as organisations are allowed to display banners and posters to get donations of Zakat and charity without permission of the authorities concerned.
However, the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board granted special permission to Shaukat Khanum, Pink Ribbon campaign and Punjab government to hang posters and banners along main roads and streets for public awareness campaign while no other charity organisations were allowed this facility. After removal of banners, many people on social media linked the removal of banners with political situation in the country.
However, other people termed it a mere propaganda against the civic bodies. When contacted, RCB spokesman Qaiser Mehmood said that cancer hospital had got permission to hang posters and banners for collection of donations on all the main roads and streets except for VVIP route from March 26 to April 8.
“This permission was granted free of cost. However, other organisations had to pay the fee for a day or week. Cancer hospital, Pink ribbon campaign and Punjab government wered allowed to hang posters and banners for larger public interest but it was subject to permission granted by the cantonment authorities,” he said.
He said that under the rules, if an organisation was interested in hanging the posters after expiry of permission time limit it had to apply again.
He said when the organisation was asked whether or not they wanted further extension but they did not respond and the RCB staff removed the banners from one road. Such banners were still on display on Peshawar Road. He said: “We were still waiting for the response of the organisation whether it wanted to apply for further extension in the permission or not”.
