Hajj quota case: Contempt proceedings dropped against Khurshid Shah

Hajj director informs LHC quota awarded to private tour operators.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court has dropped contempt of court proceedings against Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah and also discharged a contempt notice issued to him, after being informed that the Hajj quota had been allotted.

Appearing before LHC Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial in a contempt of court hearing, Hajj director Malik Saeed and the deputy attorney general (DAG) submitted that in compliance of the court orders, the quota of pilgrims was allotted to four Hajj group organisers (HGO).

Presenting a detailed report before the court, Saeed said that a quota of 89,605 pilgrims has been provided to the private tour operators.

Details revealed that a quota of 87,960 pilgrims was awarded to 721 eligible HGOs, while a quota of 1,150 pilgrims was allotted to armed forces.

Meanwhile, 50 pilgrims were allotted to a company on the directions of the Balochistan High Court and 100 to two companies in compliance of a Supreme Court order. Two tour operators were allotted 150 pilgrims and the ministry was left with the quota of 190 pilgrims, the report added.

The Hajj director also presented a merit list of 10 private tour operators. The court had earlier directed the ministry to present a list of four HGOs that fulfilled the merit requirements.

Subsequently, the DAG assured the court that all formalities, including issuance of visas and Hajj forms, would be completed within a day.

The petitioners’ counsel, Azhar Siddique, told the court that Hafiz Sher Ali, who had been serving as a joint secretary at the ministry, was transferred from his position for cooperating with the court.

Siddique said a transfer for cooperating with the court was equivalent to committing contempt and requested the court to initiate proceedings against those behind Ali’s transfer.

Chief Justice Bandial remarked that the court would look into the matter and determine whether or not the joint secretary’s transfer was mala fide.

The court adjourned the hearing till October 8 and directed the ministry to submit a complete compliance report.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2012.