Hajj policy: LHC seeks report from ministry

Hajj quota should only be allocated to well-reputed tour operators, says CJ.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Wednesday sought a report from the Ministry of Religious Affairs regarding defaulting private hajj tour operators.

The CJ remarked that the Hajj quota should only be allocated to well-reputed tour operators. The ministry’s counsel said as many as 82 operators were being scrutinised. Some tour operators had filed an application in against the ministry’s Hajj policy. The petitioners’ counsel Azhar Siddique said on June 6, 2012, the LHC had ordered the ministry to allocate a quota among the new operators but a quota of only 192 pilgrims was allocated. He alleged that the remaining quota was allocated among old tour operators in violation of the court’s directions. He said the ministry had not issued its Hajj policy for this year. He said it had increased the cost per person of Hajj by 40 per cent as a result of which many pilgrims would not be able to perform Hajj.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2013.