SHC issues notices on petition challenging Haj policy

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday issued notices to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Directorate of Haj and others on a petition against the Haj Policy 2019.

The petitioner, Rao Nasir Jehangir, submitted in the petition that the federal cabinet had approved the Haj Policy 2019 after withdrawing the government subsidy for intending pilgrims.

The SHC was informed that the government had increased the cost of performing Haj by more than 60 per cent compared to the last year, imposing financial burden on citizens who wanted to make the pilgrimage.

According to the petition, the federal government had announced that a total of Rs436,000 was required for Haj for people living in the southern areas of the country and Rs426,000 for those living in the northern parts. The allocated quota for Pakistanis for this year’s Haj was 184,210, of whom 107,000 pilgrims would perform Haj under the government arrangements.

A counsel for the petitioner submitted that the increase in the Haj cost was unjustified because making Haj arrangements was not an expense for the government as sending pilgrims to Haj was profitable for the exchequer.

The lawyer submitted that the government earned billions of rupees due to the bank deposit of Haj fees by the aspiring pilgrims while the Haj expenses, if calculated, would not exceed beyond Rs314,000 per person. He argued that the federal government was imposing an extra cost of more than Rs100,000 on every pilgrim without any justified reason; therefore, the government’s decision needed to be reviewed in the larger public interest.

The SHC was requested to restrain the government from implementing the Haj Policy 2019 and constitute a commission to review the Haj expenses. After preliminary hearing of the petition, an SHC’s division bench, headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, issued notices to the deputy attorney general, Ministry of Religious Affairs and director Haj and called their comments on February 20.

According to the approved policy, applications for Haj would be accepted from February 20. Of the total share of Pakistani pilgrims, 60 per cent would perform Haj under the government scheme and the remaining would make the pilgrimage under private operators.

People above 80 years of age will be able to perform Haj directly without the need to enter their names for the draw. The people who have been unsuccessful for three consecutive years will also not be required to participate in the draw. The government has also reserved 10,000 seats for senior citizens in the policy.