Year 2018: IHC orders govt, private Hajj quota at 60:40

Federal govt had announced a 67 per cent for govt and 37 per cent quota for private Hajj tour operators for this year

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered on Thursday to keep the Hajj quota 60 per cent for government scheme and 40 per cent for the private Hajj tour operators for the year 2018.

Justice Athar Mianallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb ruled that the private Hajj tour operators’ quota would remain 40 per cent for 2018. The bench directed the authorities concerned to initiate complete assessment on the applications, which seek Hajj quota. It also directed authorities display a list on the website of the Ministry of the Religious Affairs by March 30 with reason for dismissals, if any.



In the short order, the court stated that the aggrieved parties can raise objection by April 15 and their applications will be decided by April 30. A decent number of Hajj tour operators had filed petitions for the division of Hajj quota, which were presented and formed before the IHC by the Supreme Court. IHC division bench in its order said that a committee formed by the Supreme Court will devise procedure for the new applicants who wish to become private Hajj tour operators.

The federal government had announced a 67 per cent for government and 37 per cent quota for private Hajj tour operators for this year, which has now been kept 60 and 40 per cent respectively.