Pakistan

Hajj policy: MPs seek transparency in hardship quota distribution

"The government should either stop the Hajj quota for lawmakers or distribute it equally," JUI-F MNA Shahida Akhtar

Obaid Abbasi August 28, 2016

Sahibzada Muhammad Yaqub of the Jamaat-i-Islami also expressed concern at the ongoing discrimination and has decided to support the privilege motion. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: Members of the lower house of parliament want transparency in the distribution of hardship quota allocated for government officials who desire to perform Hajj. They have also decided to move a privilege motion against the federal and state ministers for not responding to their questions.

In its Hajj Policy of 2016, the religious affairs ministry had lowered the hardship quota from five to three per cent. The set quota is allocated for government officials to perform Hajj and parliamentarians are also accommodated under this quota. However, members of the NA’s Standing Committee on Religious Affairs believe that the ministry has been busy in accommodating people close to them under this quota. They believe that the federal and state ministers have ignored them and consider this as a breach in their privilege.

Interestingly, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F), a coalition partner of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, has decided to move a privilege motion. JUI-F’s Shahida Akhtar has prepared a motion against Federal Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf and State Minister Pir Aminul Hasnat Shah. Akhtar alleges that neither the ministers nor the officials were available when she approached the ministry to get information regarding the quota. She said, “I believe lawmakers respect is more important in the Hajj quota; however, the ministry continuously ignores us.” Akhtar said she intends to submit a motion on September 2.

She alleged that the ministers have accommodated people from the party or their relatives in the Hajj quota. Akhtar told The Express Tribune that the government should either stop the Hajj quota for lawmakers or distribute it equally. She claimed that the ministry is giving the allocated quota to PML-N’s lawmakers and ignoring the rest.

PPP lawmaker Shagufta Jumani also joined hands with the JUI-F against the ministry. Jumani called for transparency in the distribution of Hajj quota for the lawmakers. The discrimination should be finished and the ministry and should stop giving the Hajj quota to people close to them said Jumani, who is also a member of the standing committee.

Sahibzada Muhammad Yaqub of the Jamaat-i-Islami also expressed concern at the ongoing discrimination and has decided to support the privilege motion.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2016.