Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
A legislative body of Upper House of Parliament on Tuesday directed to present complete hajj policy after completion and also asserted that details of penalties and blacklisting of companies that fail to deliver must be submitted.
These directions were issued during Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony, which held today in parliament house while Senator Molana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri was on chair.
The meeting was attended by Senator Molvi Faiz Muhammad, Senator Gurdeep Singh, Senator Anwar Lal Dean, Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi, Senator Prof. Sajid Mir, Senator Muhammad Akram, Senator Haji Hidayatullah and senior officers of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony.
Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony, Dr. Noor-ul-Haq Qadri was present at the meeting as well.
The committee was informed that during Hajj 2019-20 the government has returned Rs5.53 billion to pilgrims for the facilities which promised for provision but unable to provide, therefore, these amount returned to the pilgrims.
Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs Sardar Ajaz Ahmad Khan Jaffar told the committee that actions were taken accordingly.
The committee further informed that several Hajj and Umra tour operators were blacklisted after their poor performance. The committee directed the ministry to provide details of all blacklisted companies.
Responding to a question, Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony, Dr. Noor-ul-Haq Qadri said last time the Saudi government provided 24000 extra quota for pilgrims at the end and then the government was unable to provide all facilities like hiring of house and transport to the over and above the schedule quota, that was why some facilities were not provided to pilgrims.
The minister said the government was bound to return the money for which facilities could not provide to the pilgrims.
About the quota, the committee was informed that 10000 seats for senior citizens (80 years and above) reserved for pilgrims and another 10000 seats reserved for unsuccessful applicants in ballots of the last three consecutive years.
The secretary further said that that three years hajj policy could not complete due to Covid-19 pandemic.
