SC orders govt to recover money from ‘all pilgrims’

ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court on Friday directed the government to recover the money within one week from all pilgrims, including journalists, who had undertaken the Haj pilgrimage from the national exchequer.
A six-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing a suo motu case against alleged corruption in the Haj arrangements. The court also directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to register criminal cases against the officials of the Religious Affairs and Interior ministries who flouted the rules by sending people to perform Haj on spending government’s money.
FIA Additional Director General Javed Bukhari told the court that an amount of Rs 36. 4 million was yet to be recovered in the Haj corruption scam. The court expressed dissatisfaction over the report submitted by the FIA, observing that it had failed to carry out proper investigation. The FIA told the court that the people who were sent to perform Haj using government’s money, and the amount yet to be recovered was paid by Malik Riaz Hussain, chief executive of Bahria Town and Haji Nawaz Khokar, former National Assembly deputy speaker.
The court was informed that Hussain extended help in providing airfare to the pilgrims while Khokar bore other expenses. The court asked who had ordered the two men to give the money, and directed the FIA to conduct an investigation in this regard. Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed observed that those who utilised the money of the pilgrims and performed Haj from the national exchequer had committed a criminal offence.
Religious Affairs Secretary Shaukat Durrani told the court that pilgrims were paid from the welfare fund of the Religious Affairs Ministry. The chief justice observed that every single penny would be recovered, adding that being an important institution, the investigation by the FIA was unsatisfactory. Justice Asif Saeed Khosa observed that the government’s reliance on one particular person would be dangerous as such people, while helping the government, would also take benefits.
“How could the government ask such people and under what authority?” he asked. The Religious Affairs secretary said a total of 448 people performed Haj on the expense of the government and Rs 35 million had yet to be recovered. He told the court that notices had been issued to these people. FIA Legal Director Azam Khan submitted a report against former establishment secretary Ismael Qurashi and told the court that he was responsible for misquoting the age of Haj Director Rao Shakeel Ahmed.
The chief justice directed the FIA DG to personally head the investigation in this regard and said Qureshi should not be arrested until further order. It also directed Qureshi to extend cooperation to FIA in the investigation. The court was adjourned until April 22.