The National Assembly Standing Committee on Religious Affairs on Friday rejected the invoice of Rs 5.5 million fee being given to the renowned lawyer Latif Khosa to defend Minister for Religious Affairs in Supreme Court against corruption charges during Haj 2010 operation.
The committee with Maulana Mohammad Qasim in the chair, critically reviewed the mismanagement during Haj 2010, expressing concerns over huge financial difference between the buildings hired by Ex-DG Haj Mission Rao Shakeel and Secretary, Ministry of Religious Affairs Agha Sarwar Raza Qazilbash for Hajis.
MNA Bilal Yasin, a special invitee to the committee, referred to a news report stated that the Ministry hired Latif Khosa at Rs 6 million, as a counsel to defend him in the apex court. Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi said that no single penny so far being paid to Khosa.
However, Bilal Yasin shared a copy of the invoice of the Khosa Law Chamber, Lahore, dated December 8, 2010 with the committee that shows that Khosa would be paid Rs 5.5 million fee by the federation for defending the sou moto case of Haj scam. Secretary of the Ministry said that the ministry received the invoice and did not pay the mentioned fee so far, as it will be sent to Ministry of Law.
However, the committee rejected the invoice unanimously and observed that it was unjustifiable to hire a lawyer at such a huge amount to defend the suo moto case, as it is responsibility of the Attorney General of Pakistan to represent the federation in the apex court.
It was also informed that there was a great financial difference between the total 210 hired buildings for the pilgrims by Ex DG Haj Mission and Secretary of the Ministry. The details provided to the committee show that the Ex DG Haj Mission hired a total of 81 buildings at SR 3,500 per pilgrim in the beginning and a review committee in the supervision of Qazilbash was sent to Saudi Arabia following objections raised over the high rents and 129 more buildings were hired at SR 2,200 per pilgrim, showing a great financial difference in the rents with of the buildings hired by the former.
Similarly, 40 more buildings were also hired by Director Haj Sultan Ali Shah at SR 2,200 per pilgrim. The committee members also expressed concerns for appointing Shakeel, as DG Haj Mission who was already wanted to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Chairman of the committee Mualana Qasim said that the committee had suggested removal of the DG in its last meeting after surfacing corruption charges against him. Minister for Religious Affairs said, "No doubt, irregularities have been taken place for which we are ashamed and I am not going to justify them," adding that the accused should be taken to task.
He said that corruption charges have been levelled on the hiring of buildings and transportation from residence to Haram and investigations into the two were already underway. He further said that Shakeel was stopped from further hiring and was called back by the Prime Minister after charges of irregularities.
Kazmi also mentioned that it was Pakistan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Omer Alisherzai who provoked the pilgrims against him, urging the committee to summon record of the Ambassador from the Foreign Office for his alleged corruption when he was counsellor general some years back and was called back. Secretary of the Ministry said that some more officials have also been brought into the FIA interrogation net, adding that he got information that the main accused Ahmed Faiz went underground.
The committee also expressed concerns over the overcharging of Rs 40,000 of the pilgrims of the last Haj flight and also summoned report on this regard. The committee recommended that selection to the Haj should be strictly on merit, as some members expressed reservations over sending journalists by Interior Minister Rehman Malik. The committee also recommended that Haj Policy 2011 should be formulated in the views of recommendations of the Standing Committee on Religious Affairs while Secretary of the Ministry suggested that the entire Haj Programme should be privatised and the parliamentarians be allocated the required quota.
Earlier, the committee was told that due to non-completion of the facilities like washrooms, electricity and other facilities in five Makatib, difficulties were faced by the pilgrims, which have been duly acknowledged by the concerned Saudi authorities and for the reason, have decided to refund a sum of SR 250 per pilgrim, as such a cheque of an amount of SR 6.665 million have been provided by the Saudi authorities. It was further informed that a letter has also been addressed to Moassasah South Asia, a body providing tent accommodation to the pilgrims in Mina, for refunding SR 700 per pilgrim for five Makatibs to be distributed amongst the victims.