Interior Ministry placed the blame for free Hajj to a select few on the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), saying that Interior Ministry had asked them to facilitate these people, but not to provide them with free tickets and accommodation.
The ministry had nothing to do with this scam and if the FIA would recover the amount from these people, the ministry would have no objection given that is the decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, informed sources in the Interior Ministry told Business Recorder on Friday.
They dispelled the impression that the Interior Ministry had directed the FIA not to take any action against the 448 beneficiaries, who performed Hajj at government expenses during 2009 and 2010. No such instructions were given to FIA by the Interior Minister, they added.
Interior Ministry admitted that most of the people who travelled on the last Hajj flight were recommended by the Interior Ministry but categorically denied that they had promised them free Hajj. The ministry merely wanted to facilitate these people, the majority of whom were from media, the ministry sources added.
The FIA sources privy to the investigation also confirmed that no instruction was received from the Interior Ministry to stop the investigation or recover the full amount from the 448, who performed Hajj at government expenses. "How can the Interior Ministry issue such orders when the Supreme Court of Pakistan has directed the FIA to ensure recovery of from these pilgrims," the sources further added.
FIA is investigating the matter on the instructions of the Supreme Court and after the court order the matter was raised with Ministry of Religious Affairs to calculate the cost per head. The Ministry for Religious Affairs fixed the cost on per Hajj at Rs 82,800 per person for 2010 and Rs 79,700 per person for 2009 - an amount which covers only the cost of accommodation while in Saudi Arabia. PIA has been requested to provide the cost of the ticket during 2009 and 2010.
Notices for recovery of the amount have been sent to the 448 persons. They include 200 who performed free Hajj in 2009, out of which 26 people have recorded their statements including five who were sent by Federal Railways Minister, 10 by Bahria town, and eleven sent by Interior Minister, FIA sources said.
If these people fail to respond to the notices of the investigating agency then arrest warrants would be issued against them, FIA sources said. They said that Supreme Court has again directed the FIA investigators to ensure quick recovery of the amount.
Supreme Court of Pakistan took suo-motu notice of the Hajj corruption and accordingly FIR was registered in Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Agency. Notices were issued to all 448 persons out of which the majority are journalists and were recommended by Interior Minister Rehman Malik. The FIA has filed a case against the 448 persons under sections 109, 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, 3, 4, and 34 and section 5(2)47 of Pakistan Penal Code regarding fraud, cheating, forgery, committing crime outside Pakistan, assistance and abetment in the crime.
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