The Islamabad High court (IHC) on Thursday issued a notice to the federation on the appeal of Hajj former director general (DG) Rao Shakeel against his sentence in the Hajj corruption case.
Chief Justice Muhammad Anwar Kasi heard Shakeel’s appeal against his sentence.
The former DG maintained that the trial court had not taken into account all the aspects of the law as corruption was not proven on his part by any of the witnesses’ statements.
The court was requested to annul trial court’s verdict and acquit the former official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The hearing was adjourned for two weeks.
Earlier on on June 3, the court sentenced Shakeel to 40 years in prison along with fine. Religious affairs former minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi was also awarded a punishment in the corruption reference. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Earlier this week, Shakeel’s alleged front man Ahmed Faiz was released on bail in the Hajj corruption case after the accused ensured the court of appearing in all proceedings of the case.
The Hajj scam had surfaced in 2010 when the then Minister for Science and Technology Azam Swati accused Kazmi, an influential minister in the government of Pakistan People’s Party, of his involvement in corruption in the pilgrimage funds.
