Punjab Plans Action to Trace Owners of Nameless Donation Boxes

Despite a crackdown by the Punjab Home Department and the listing of 89 banned organizations, anonymous donation boxes continue to appear across Punjab, raising concerns about unregulated charity funding.

These so-called “nameless donation boxes,” often secured with chains and locks, are commonly placed at road intersections, markets, shopping malls, and banks. Their anonymous collectors leave donors uncertain about who receives the funds.

Experts warn that billions of rupees may be collected through these boxes without oversight, potentially bypassing the objectives of the National Action Plan aimed at dismantling financial networks linked to instability.

Former civil servant Yawar Mehdi described the boxes as “silent routes” of funding and urged federal and provincial authorities to dismantle what he called a dangerous nationwide network. He said the unregulated collections undermine state efforts to curb illicit financing.

Mehdi called on the government to confiscate all anonymous donation boxes under the supervision of divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, and district police officers, while maintaining transparent records of collected funds.

Officials from the Punjab Home Department acknowledged that some anonymous donation boxes remain in place. They said authorities plan to identify their owners after the registration of religious seminaries (madaris).

According to officials, once madaris are registered, they will be required to declare any donation boxes placed across the province. Authorities added that donation boxes belonging to registered charities and NGOs already display proper identification, including organization names and registration codes.