LAHORE:
Lahore Hajj Director Malik Muhammad Saeed assured the High Court on Monday that a detailed report on the allotment of quota to new Hajj group organisers will be submitted on September 28.
Saeed had appeared before Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial in a contempt petition filed against the Ministry of Religious Affairs by a group of newly registered tour operators for not being allotted quotas despite court orders.
The director said that the ministry had received Rs500,000 each as surety from 30 new tour organisers and would complete the quota allotment process by September 28. The chief justice then adjourned till Friday.
Earlier, Justice Banidal had warned the religious affairs secretary of contempt proceedings against him if the court’s order was not implemented.
Petitioners’ counsel Advocate Azhar Siddique submitted that the Supreme Court in its July 7, 2011, order had observed that the government should ensure transparency at the time of making the 2012 Hajj Policy. However, said the petitioners, the ministry was once again giving quotas to the same tour operators ignoring new Hajj tour operators.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 27th, 2012.
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