Daily Times

PESHAWAR: The practice of corruption and nepotism has once again come to limelight after the federal ministry of religious affairs and interfaith harmony rejected scores of female ‘Moavineen’ of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and filled the quota with their blue-eyed persons.

The candidates were sponsored by government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) departments and nominated by the provincial government as a welfare staff for duty in Saudi Arabia during Hajj 2016.

It was learnt that the candidate had been given the required training to perform their duties as welfare staff in Saudi Arabia.

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak, through official letter, the copy of which is available with Daily Times, condemned the issue of the proposed candidates’ rejection who had even undergone the required training for the purpose, but have been dropped out.

The chief minister pointed out and asked the ministry that the issue of under-representation of the provincial ‘Mmoavineen’ nomination has relatively caused sense of deprivation and marginalization.

“Six female ‘Moavineen’ nominated by KP Government on priority basis deserved to be given representation to serve Hajj and allow them to perform duty as welfare staff in Saudi Arabia during Hajj”, the letter read.

However, the KP was informed through telephonic conversation that federal government has rejected proposed KP ‘Moaveen’ in list without presenting any valid reason and replaced them with their blue eyed candidates from the federal departments.

As per the rules, seven seats were reserved against provincial quota holding KP domicile for ‘Moavineen’ but the number of candidates has been increased from 7 to 18 including six females.

The move has not only spread cause of anguish and sense of deprivation in the KP bureaucracy but it is clear violation of the concerned department who filled the gap through ulterior motive and once again the scandal of Hajj repeated.

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has requested the Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs to probe the scam and direct the ministry to reconsider the case of six female ‘Moavineen’. “Our female nominees feel highly discriminated against their female counter-part in federal ministries who are sent to Saudi Arabia every year for Hajj duty” Pervaz Khattak added.

It merits a mention here that the federal government has always been found indulged in corruption in Hajj. Ironically, the former federal minister for religious affairs was also sent behind the bars in connection with the Hajj scandal.