Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Legislators in the Lower House of parliament on Monday alleged that the federal minister for religious affairs had inducted his near and dear ones in the ministry, who were dealing with all Hajj-related matters.

They said that being public representative, when any parliamentarian contacted the ministry, he/she was not properly accommodated, adding that even senior officers of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony had no powers over those blue-eyed recruits. The committee members also regretted that the ministry was not honoring the two-people Hajj quota for every parliamentarian.

These issues were raised during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, held at the Parliament House with Hafiz Abdul Kareem in the chair. Parliamentarians from both the opposition and treasury benches targeted the government over Hajj-related arrangement.

Coalition partner Shahida Akhtar Ali of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) claimed that some parliamentarians were given “more quota” for Hajj, while others were totally ignored.

Urging the authorities to stop this discrimination immediately, she regretted that officials of the ministry were arrogant and rude towards parliamentarians. She claimed that Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf had deputed “private people” at the ministry, who were dealing with the entire Hajj operation.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Malik Abdul Ghaffar Dogar also targeted the government by saying that he was totally ignored when he wanted to send two people to Hajj under the government scheme.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MNA Shagufta Jumani said that pilgrims already in Saudi Arabia were facing multiple problems, especially when it comes to provision of breakfast. “Though the federal minister and a large number of ministry officials are in Makkah and Madina, such problems are a matter of grave concern.” She also claimed that nurses were declared as doctor for Pakistani pilgrims.

State Minister for Religious Affairs Aminul Hasnat told the committee that the federal minister was dealing with hajj-related issue. He said that the minister was currently in Saudi Arabia and would return on September 1. To a question, he said that there would be no special/VIP flight during the current year. The state minister claimed that the government did not have the capacity to arrange for VIP flights.

The ministry’s additional secretary claimed that two people had been sent for performing Hajj on the parliamentarian’s quota, while the committee members claimed that not a single person on their quota was performing Hajj.

The committee decoded to hold another meeting in the presence of the federal minister. Earlier, Hafiz Abdul Kareem appreciated the role of the ministry regarding provided excellence service to the Hajj pilgrims last year. He also lauded the ministry’s officials for this year’s hajj arrangements.