Daily Times

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court threw out a lawsuit of private Hajj tour operators challenging the reduction in their quota from 50 percent to 40 percent.

The court upheld the government decision to set the quota for private Hajj tour operators at 40 percent. It also recalled its stay order restraining the government from bringing the disputed 10 percent reduction of the private Hajj tour operators’ quota into effect.

Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP) had approached the court questioning the federal government’s decision of reducing their quota.

Additional Attorney General Salman Talibuddin told the court that the apex court had given a judgment upholding the government’s decision of fixing the Hajj quota for private tour operators at 40%. He, thus, requested the judges to recall their injunction so that the remaining 10% quota could be allotted.

He had earlier submitted the comments of the religious affairs ministry, contending that institution of the lawsuit at a time when the policy was not finalized. The litigants’ counsel argued that the government had made an unfair Hajj policy which is liable to be stricken down. The court was pleaded to direct the authorities to allot 50% Hajj quota to private operators.