Lahore High Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial directed a deputy attorney general (DAG) to appear before the court on September 01 in a petition for allotting Hajj quota to private tour operators. During the course of hearing on Thursday, the petitioner's counsel alleged that old tour operators' mint money with the help of the ministry of religious affairs.
The government moved a petition before Supreme Court to mint money and wanted to defeat those who were offering Hajj tour on low price. AAG refuted the allegations and said the government had no role in it, adding the old tour operators approached the apex court at their own.
The Chief Justice remarked that this court wanted the expenditures should be reduced but it was bound by the commandment of the Supreme Court. The petitioners, newly registered Hajj Group Organisers (HGOs), through their counsel Azhar Saddique had challenged the Hajj Policy 2013 and process of quota allocation by the ministry.