(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The mismanagement of Religious Affairs Ministry’s officials has caused Rs 421.4 million loss to the national exchequer, as the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered Religious Ministry to pay compensation money to the affected pilgrims of five ‘Maktab’, who were provided inappropriate accommodations during Haj last year.
Shaukat Hayat Durrani, new Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs, was asked to pay 700 Saudi Riyal (SR) per Haji to the affected pilgrims within a week, as this is the judicial order. The court further directed him to submit schedule and formula regarding payment before the court.
There were 26,200 pilgrims of five Maktab (blocks) who were not provided unsuitable accommodation during the performance of Haj, the secretary told. The secretary informed the court that he had joined the ministry on December 20, 2010 therefore he needed some time to arrange the money.
Justice Raja Fayyaz said that the court could order to freeze ministry’s bank accounts if the SR 700 per Haji were not paid to the pilgrims.
A seven-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing a suo moto case of Haj corruption. The Chief Justice during the proceeding asked the DG FIA if he could not investigate into the matter, he should handover the case to the Government, otherwise the court would pass order.
The court was stunned over not recording statement of Interior Minister Rehman Malik by the FIA. The evidence of the important persons involved in the case has not been brought on the record.
Bilal Yasin in its statement submitted that Zain Iftikhar Sukhera, who is involved in Haj corruption, had close relation with Abdul Qadir Gilani son of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. Thrice he made trips to Saudi Arabia with PM’s family.
When the court inquired from DG FIA that these were allegations against PM’s son, he replied, “Yes.” MNA Pirzada Imran Ahmed Shah that during his stay in Saudi Arabia Rao Shakeel informed him that he had paid millions of rupees to the authorities to get this post.
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