Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry on Monday linked the allotment of Haj quota to private tour operators with the judgment of the petition challenging the Haj Policy 2011 and discriminatory process of allotment of the Haj quota. The LHC CJ also sought reply from the Federal Religious Affairs and Law ministries on the petition until May 16.
Travel Shop Private Limited and 12 other Haj tour operators filed the petition, through their counsel Azhar Siddique, requesting the court to order issuance of the Haj quota on merit after cancelling all previous notifications and quota allotments, which were based on mala fide.
The petitioners made the federal government, Federal Religious Affairs Ministry, the federal religious affairs secretary, Federal Law Ministry, the Haj director, the Competition Commission of Pakistan and seven others a party in the petition. The petitioners submitted that the Federal Religious Affairs Ministry allotted the Haj quota 2011 to private tour operators on basis of personal liking and political influence despite clear directions of superior courts to follow merit in allotment of the Haj quota.
They maintained that travel agents wrote many times to the Federal Religious Affairs Ministry to provide the Haj policy 2011 but it was neither provided nor advertised. They said that five notifications had been issued according to the policy, which was based on mala fide.
The petitioners submitted that paid-up capital for new operators had been increased from Rs 5 million to 20 million and Rs 0.5 million would also be received for the Haj Fund. They said that new operators would not be given quota for Haj 2011, which was a violation of article 25, 18 and 4 of the constitution. The petitioners requested the court to declare the Haj Policy 2011 as illegal to the extent of private tour operators.
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