LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has barred the federal government from allotting government’s quota of 15,000 Hujjaj to private Hajj operators on Tuesday.
The LHC issued its ruling over an application in which the petitioner raised objections over allotment of quota to private Hajj operators and government’s Hajj fares.
He stated that under government scheme the Hajj package will cost over Rs 2, 72,000 for those travelling from Punjab and KPK, but the private operators are charging over Rs.500,000.
On Tuesday LHC Justice Khalid Mehmood Khan heard the case and issued notices to the federal government and federal Ministry for Religious Affairs to file their response on June 23.
During case proceedings, petitioner Azhar Siddiq told court that the Ministry of Religious Affairs is illegally allotting Hajj quota to private tour operators. Hajj pilgrims are facing difficulties to increasing expenditures.
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Over 143,000 Hujjaj will perform Hajj this year under the new Hajj policy announced in April this year.
The original Hajj quota of 179,210 allocated to Pakistan for year 2012 was reduced by 20% last year due to expansion plan of Haram Sharif and was accordingly fixed as 143,368.
The Hajj scheme, 2014 will be implemented through government scheme and private Hajj group organizers (HGOs) in the ratio of 50 percent each.
According to new Hajj policy, anyone who has performed Hajj during the last five years won’t be eligible to perform Hajj this year.
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