Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) said during hearing of the Hajj corruption case that the Hajj services provided by the government have lost the faith of the pilgrims who are now preferring private Hajj services over the governmental services.

Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani resumed hearing of an appeal moved by former federal minister for religious affairs, Hamid Saeed against the court decision sentencing him 14 years prison in Hajj corruption case on Saturday.

Observing the court orders, director general Rao Shakeel hired the services of an advocate who completed his arguments in the court during the hearing last day.

Counsel of Rao Shakeel, Advocate Misbah-ul-Hassan read the report of revision committee formed in 2010 and argued before the court that the person deployed for the inquiry formulated this report without visiting the buildings.

He stated that all the allegations leveled against his client are baseless; his client was wrongfully nominated in the case because he earned the anger of some of the officials of the ministry by providing better Hajj facilities to the pilgrims on cheaper rates which ultimately harmed the benefits of the ministry officials.

The court inquired about the proves of money transfer to the bank accounts of Rao Shakeel upon which the court was informed that Rao neither received any money by-hand nor any amount was transferred to his accounts or to the accounts of his family.

Justice Kiani also sought information regarding the buildings which were taken by Rao on rent. The court was told that Rao had not taken any building on rent without the consent of the ministry.

The court adjourned the hearing till February 22 by issuing orders to the counsel of the accused Aftab-ul-Islam to come prepared for the arguments on next hearing of the case. After the orders of Supreme Court, the hearing of the case has been conducted on daily basis to decide the case within fifteen days.

In Friday’s hearing Latif Khosa, counsel of petitioner- Hamid Saeed Kazmi- has said “my client is a religious scholar and his family is suffering because of these allegations of Hajj corruption. The bank balance of the petitioner was Rs 7.5 million prior to assuming the charge of the ministry and it remained at Rs. 1.5 million when he left the charge.”

It is pertinent to mention here that the Hajj corruption scandal had surfaced in 2010 when former Minister for Science and Technology Azam Swati leveled corruption allegations against then Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi. The apex court had instructed the FIA to prosecute the case in a trial court, and directed the government to return the extra amount paid by Hajj pilgrims.

Earlier in 2010, Saudi Prince Bandr bin Khalid bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud had also written a letter to then Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, stressing that there was undeniable evidence of corruption on the part of Pakistani Hajj officials.

The Special Court had awarded 14 years imprisonment and a fine of approximately Rs to Hamid Saeed Kazmi in Hajj corruption case.