Tag: Haj

ISLAMABAD: Religious Affairs Secretary Agha Sarwar Qazilbash on Saturday told the special committee of the Public Accounts Committee that his ministry had not yet received any directions from the prime minister regarding the role of the Foreign Ministry in Haj affairs.
The special committee of the PAC met with Riaz Hussain Pirzada in the chair to review audit reports of the Ministry of Religious Affairs for the year 1996-97. Qazilbash told the committee that investigations into

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs will not have any objection if the parliament allows the private sector to manage Haj arrangements, Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi told the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Religious Affairs on Friday.
The standing committee, headed by Maulana Muhammad Qasim, had summoned Kazmi to probe the Haj scam.
"Parliament is sovereign and can allow private sector to run Haj affairs completely or partially or for limited purposes

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday warned Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Waseem Ahmed for adopting a lenient approach while probing into alleged corruption and mishandling of Haj affairs, calling his conduct "disappointing".
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry expressed surprise over the DG's decision to entrust the investigations to a grade 16 officer. "This is a high profile case involving prestige of the country, but an FIA inspector has been

LAHORE: An accountability court on Thursday summoned former director Haj Maj (r) Rao Shakeel Ahmad for December 20, during the hearing of an application filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB), seeking
the cancellation of his exemption from appearing in court.
Earlier, court had exempted Rao Shakeel Ahmad from appearing in court during the trials of a reference filed against him as he was serving as DCO Khaniwal and he had to participate in several meetings in this

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi on Monday told the Supreme Court there was corruption in Haj arrangements, however, "this year, corruption was lesser than the previous years".
A six-member special SC bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing a suo motu case against the irregularities and corruption in Haj arrangements.
The court directed the Religious Affairs Ministry to pay back 700 Saudi Riyals

ISLAMABAD: A six-member Special Bench of the Supreme Court headed by chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will take up today (Monday) a suo motu case against the irregularities and corruption in Haj arrangements.
Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi and Science and Technology Minister Azam Khan Swati, the attorney general, secretaries of Interior, Establishment, Religious Affairs, the FIA director general, the NAB chairman, the members of committee of parliamentarians

ISLAMABAD: Taking suo motu notice of the alleged irregularities in haj arrangements, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Friday issued notices to the ministers of Religious Affairs and Science and Technology, the attorney general of Pakistan, Religious Affairs secretary, FIA Director General, NAB Chairman and others to appear before a special bench on December 6 and explain the allegations.
Through notices, both Hamid Saeed Kazmi and Azam Swati have

ISLAMABAD: Former Haj Director General Rao Shakeel was sent to jail on Sunday on a 14-day judicial remand.
FIA officials produced Shakeel in Judicial Duty Magistrate Malik Naeem Shaukat's court after completing his physical remand.
On a request by the FIA officials, the duty magistrate ordered that Shakeel be sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
The FIA had arrested Shakeel on November 13 from his residence in Lahore for being involved in embezzlement of millions

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines' special flight operations for pilgrims returning after haj began on Sunday, albeit after a three-hour delay. The first returning haj flight arrived in Peshawar three hours behind schedule, with families of the pilgrims waiting in agony at the airport.
Religious Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi will arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday with important documents and proofs regarding irregularities in haj operations. Kazmi will present a detailed report

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has taken serious notice of below par arrangements made by the Directorate of Haj for Pakistani pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and ordered an immediate inquiry into the matter.
"The prime minister has also recalled the haj director general to Pakistan," an official statement issued on Saturday said. Gilani said the shifting of responsibility and blame game was unacceptable and ordered that the Foreign Ministry should coordinate all

LAHORE: Former haj director general (DG) Rao Shakeel Ahmad was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Punjab in Lahore on Saturday. Earlier, a first information report was registered against Shakeel in the FIA headquarters in Islamabad. Shakeel was arrested on a request by the Interior Ministry. He is accused of embezzling Rs 1 billion on renting apartments for pilgrims' residence at high rates. The former haj DG was suspended a few days ago.
Meanwhile, Trading

MAKKAH: The Saudi interior minister on Wednesday said he would not rule out an Al Qaeda attempt to disturb security during the annual haj pilgrimage, which begins next week.
"We cannot trust them (Al Qaeda). We do not rule out any attempt to disturb the security of haj," Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz told reporters when asked about a possible Al Qaeda threat.
"We are ready for any act that might take place. God willing, nothing of that will happen, out of respect to this

KARACHI: Saudi Arabia's Haj officials have fined the PIA 2.4 million riyals for not providing pilgrims with ED forms and also for the delay and cancellation of flights, Pakistan Today has learnt.
According to sources in the national carrier, PIA is now trying to settle the matter with the Saudi officials and has offered them gifts to have the fine waived off.
There was a shortage of ED forms provided by the Ministry of Religious Affairs to the pilgrims, who are supposed to

Quetta
The PIA's first Haj flight with 326 pilgrims left Quetta for Jeddah on Tuesday. Provincial Haj and Zakat Secretary Roheel Baloch, Haj Director Muhammad Younis Dar and PIA officials saw off the pilgrims at the airport amid tight security. A total of 11,500 pilgrims from Balochistan are going on Haj through 33 flights, till November 11.

The Pakistan International Airlines' massive Haj operation started with the first pre-Haj flight PK-1661 departed from Karachi Haj terminal carrying 459 pilgrims for Jeddah, a PIA spokesman said on Monday.
PIA Deputy Managing Director Salim Sayani, Director Corporate Planning Shahnawaz Rehman, Director Engineering Maqsood Ahmed, General Manager Passenger Handling Services Aijaz Mazhar, Station Manager Karachi Airport Saeed Khan, District Manager Saleem Raza Bhutto and other