IHC halts final Hajj quota allocations

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has barred the federal government from making final allocations of Hajj quota to new operators until the next hearing.

Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro issued the directions while hearing a petition challenging the Hajj Policy 2027-30 and the pre-registration clearance certificate process for new organisers under the private Hajj scheme.

The court sought minutes of the proceedings through which the Hajj Policy 2027-30 was prepared. It also sought details of the mechanism adopted for independent third-party scrutiny of new groups, as well as the criteria prescribed for new Hajj operators.

The court questioned whether the Hajj Policy and Plan 2027-30 had been framed by the competent authority in accordance with the relevant law and rules, and whether previously registered non-quota Hajj group organisers could be excluded from the process.

The petitioner, a registered private Hajj group organiser, contended through counsel that despite being registered, the group had not been allocated a Hajj quota.

The lawyer said two categories had been introduced under the new policy and argued that the petitioners had been denied quota despite being on the merit list.

The counsel further submitted that the petitioners had already undergone scrutiny under the previous system, but their earlier registration, verification and experience had effectively been rendered meaningless under the new mechanism.

The court issued notices to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and other respondents. The assistant attorney general received the notices in the courtroom.

The court rejected the petitioner's request to immediately suspend the proceedings for new Hajj operators initiated under a July 21 notification, observing that the Hajj arrangements were time-sensitive and that suspending the process at this stage would not be appropriate.

However, it directed the authorities to continue the proceedings under the notification but restrained them from issuing final Hajj quota to new operators until the next hearing.

The court observed that completing the quota allocation process could affect the rights of the parties and potentially render the petition ineffective. The registrar's office was directed to fix the case for hearing on Aug 26, keeping in view the time-sensitive nature of Hajj arrangements.