NA committee rejects list of 29 new Haj operators

Islamabad :The National Assembly Standing Committee which met here on Monday rejected list of 29 new companies as private Haj operators finalised by the Ministry of Religious Affairs while ignoring the high-powered Committee constituted by the Prime Minister.

Chairman of the Standing Committee Hafiz Abdul Kareem apprised the Committee that Government have 60% whereas Private Tour Operators have 40% quota for pilgrims. According to the direction of Supreme Court of Pakistan Quota of pilgrims should be given to new tour operators who had already given applications and some out of them who have been deprived of their Haj Quota are trying to appeal in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Joint Secretary Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony briefed on the agenda and apprised the Committee that 2% quota was provided by the Haj Policy Formulation Committee constituted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan to the top most new 29 Companies on merit basis.

The Committee expressed displeasure on the provision of wrong quota to the new companies by the Ministry of Religious Affairs ignoring the high powered committee constituted by the Prime-Minister, Islamic Republic of Pakistan consisting on the Chairman, Standing Committee of the Senate on the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Chairman, Standing Committee of the National Assembly on the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and the Ministry of State for Religious Affairs Interfaith Harmony.

The Committee unanimously decided to reject that list of 29 new companies and suggested that Ministry of Religious Affairs have 40% private sector quota of 71,684 pilgrims out of which 10% quota of pilgrims should be decreased of those who has 150 pilgrims or more than it, which becomes 7,168 pilgrims whereas new tour operators should not be given quota of more than 50 pilgrims. Ali Muhammad Khan, MNA also suggested to include the small provinces like Balochistan, Kashmir and others while fixing the quota of pilgrims. The Committee decided to convene its meeting on 10 July, 2017 at 11 a.m in the committee room of Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.

The meeting was attended by MNAs Malik Abdul Ghafar Dogar, Syed Imran Ahmed Shah, Bhawan Das, Kiran Imran Dar, Ramesh Lal Ali Muhammad Khan, Lal Chand Malhi, Muhammad Kamal, Shahida Akhtar Ali, Sahibzada Muhammad Yaqub, Shagufta Jumani, Molvi Agha Muhammad, and Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony besides senior officers from the ministry.

Article source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/214195-NA-committee-rejects-list-of-29-new-Haj-operators