The Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony on Thursday deferred its proceedings in protest against the absence of Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri from the meeting.
Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri chaired the meeting of the committee. He expressed his displeasure and said that the minister must pay due attention to parliamentary committees. He argued that Parliament is a supreme institution and standing committees of both Houses of the Parliament play a role of watch dog. The committees of both Houses make the government departments accountable, he added.
He said that the absence of ministers from the meetings of the standing committee shows their least interest in the affairs of the committees. "We constituted sub-committee but minister did not appear twice in its proceedings," he added.
The chairman committee further alleged that minister did not submit details which sub-committee had sought from him. He said the Hajj Policy 2020 is a national issue. The present government has increased the cost of Hajj Packages since it came into power, he added.
According to the agenda items of the committee, members had to discuss the matter related to interrogation of Umrah pilgrims at Islamabad airport; briefing on the Hajj Policy 2020 and steps taken so far to facilitate the Hujjaj (pilgrims) regarding their residences, transportation, diet, health and services at airport and other facilities; proposed Hajj package for the year 2020 with detailed bifurcation of expense and comparison with Hajj Package 2019; details of personnel who performed free Hajj at the expense of Ministry of Religious Affairs including serving and retired army personnel and civilians; complaints received during Hajj 2019 and their redressal mechanism and detailed income and expenditure made for Hajj Welfare Fund and Hujjaj Mohafiz Scheme.
Later in a press conference, the chairman committee warned the minister and officials of the Ministry of Religious Affairs that the committee would exercise its power in case they do not appear and brief the members on massive increase in the cost of Hajj Package.
He said the committee can also reject the Hajj Policy of the government. He said it is strange the federal government would not take parliamentary committees into confidence over increase in the cost of Hajj Package.
He maintained that Hujjaj would have to pay Rs 575,000 for Hajj Package in year 2020 which was Rs 448,000 in year 2019. The federal government increased the Hajj Package by Rs 125,000 per pilgrim in 2020 as compared to previous year. He claimed that the government is not facilitating the pilgrims.
He further said that an inquiry must be conducted on utilization of deposited amounts of Hujjaj for Hajj. Under the rule, Hajjaj must deposit the full amount six months before performing the Hajj.
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