Prime minister moves to gag bickering ministers

Gilani asks ministers involved to stop publically trading allegations over the issue.

ISLAMABAD: As the bitter controversy involving alleged corruption in this year’s Hajj arrangements continues to simmer, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has intervened and asked the ministers involved to stop publically trading allegations over the issue.

Gilani spoke separately to minister for religious affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi and minister for science and technology Azam Khan Swati, advising them to refrain from the blame game, according to a statement released by the prime minister’s media office.

Gilani assured them that the inquiry launched to probe the malpractices in the Hajj arrangements would resolve the question of responsibility.

The move came a day after Swati – whose party, Jamiat Ulamae Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), has been eying the religious affairs ministry that also oversees Hajj – asked Gilani to fire Kazmi for alleged corruption in Hajj arrangements.

Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia has also blamed Kazmi for the issues faced by Pakistani pilgrims during Hajj, and called for a judicial probe.

Meanwhile, Kazmi, appointed by Gilani as minister for religious affairs, retaliated by announcing that he would sue Swati in court with a hefty damage claim.

Extension in remand of ex-DG Hajj

A senior civil judge in Islamabad extended the physical remand of ex-director general (DG) Hajj Rao Shakil on Monday for three days.

Shakil was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) team last Saturday, along with another senior official, Adil, for alleged involvement in financial irregularities worth billions of rupees in Hajj arrangements.

Special Investigation Unit (SIU) head Shujja Naveed Yousufzai brought the former DG to the court and requested for a seven-day extension in the remand of the accused. Senior civil judge Kamran Bisharat Mufti, however, provided a three-day extension to the FIA to hold the accused in its custody for further investigation.

During the course of hearing, the defence counsel argued that it was not possible to embezzle funds in the process since the procurement of accommodation in Saudi Arabia was done with the recommendation of the joint hiring committee of the concerned ministry, adding that the final approval was given by the secretary ministry of hajj and religious affairs. The judge questioned if the former DG took other members of the committee into confidence during this process.

The circle of investigation into the scam is being widened to probe the matter thoroughly, the FIA lawyer informed the court. Other officials will be interrogated as soon as they return to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia, he added.  On Sunday, the religious affairs minister announced that the Saudi Hajj ministry would compensate Pakistani pilgrims who were deprived of housing facilities at Mina. Kazmi added that the 25,000 affected Pakistani pilgrims would be offered a compensatory sum of 250 riyals each.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2010.