Quota controversy: SC to announce verdict on Hajj policy today

Petitioners requested LHC judgement be set aside as it would cause tremendous loss to some 90,000 pilgrims.

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court on Thursday will, announce its verdict on the federation’s appeal and 17 other petitions filed by tour operators against the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) verdict on the suspension of Hajj Policy 2011 and the cancellation of the Hajj quota.

The petitioners had requested the apex court to set aside the LHC judgment of June 6 on the grounds that it would cause tremendous loss to tour operators and inconvenience some 90,000 pilgrims. A four-member special bench comprising Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain observed that the court would like to facilitate pilgrims as directed in Surah Hajj in the Quran. The bench remarked that the issue was being blown out of proportion to shift responsibility to the court.

Azhar Siddique resumed his arguments in defence of the LHC judgment and informed the bench that quotas were allotted to Hajj group operators (HGOs) on May 23 this year whereas the petitions had been filed in LHC in April. He argued that the government had entered into a contract with a private Saudi firm which has no legal ramifications. He informed the bench there was sufficient time to issue visas to pilgrims this year considering the fact they were issued visas till September last year.

Hamid Khan contended that the government was using delaying tactics to avoid implementing the judgment. The court adjourned the hearing till Thursday (today).

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7^th, 2011.