Senate body not satisfied with ministry's Hajj arrangements

The Senate standing committee has expressed displeasure over the arrangements made for the accommodation of intending Hajj pilgrims in Makkah by the religious affairs ministry. Last year, the ministry was exposed for making desired arrangements for the pilgrims, ending in a corruption scam, involving the then religious affairs minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi.
The standing committee, which met here on Thursday with Senator Muhammad Saleh Shah in the chair, seemed annoyed over the way arrangements have been made again in Makkah for the intending pilgrims. The committee was informed that accommodation for 48,348 pilgrims had been arranged in Makkah, of which 31,124 fall in green category while 17,224 in white. The committee was also informed that the ministry had verified 72,000 applications under government Hajj Scheme, on first come first serve basis.
The committee directed the ministry to facilitate Hajj Tour Operators (HTOs) and arrange a meeting between PIA and HTOs to resolve the travel matters amicably without creating any fuss as was done the previous year. The officials of the ministry informed the committee that quota of Pakistani pilgrims had been enhanced from last year's 159,647 to 179,256 for 2011 with a net increase of 19,609. They said that according to clause (vii) of Hajj Policy-2011, 15 percent of the total seats under government Hajj scheme had been reserved for different categories including those whose names were dropped last year, pilgrims recommended and fully funded by charitable reputable organizations, and labour or low paid employees.
The committee was also informed that around 180,000 pilgrims would be sent to Saudi Arabia for Hajj under the government and private schemes. As many as 90,000 pilgrims would be sent through the religious affairs ministry while the same number would be sent through the Hajj Groups Organisers.
The committee was told that there would be no balloting for Hajj this year as the formula of 'first come and first serve' was being followed to ensure transparency in the entire process of pilgrims' selection. The ministry officials said that under the Air Service Agreement (ASA) signed with Saudi Arabia, 50 percent Pakistani pilgrims would be airlifted by national flag carrier and 50 percent by Saudi airlines. They said that the existing ASA had now been revised and one more airline from each side (Shaheen Air from Pakistan and NAS from Saudi Arabia) had been added to existing carriers. Distribution of pilgrims among these airlines would be finalised in consultation with the defence ministry, they added.