July 08, 2007	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Sani 22, 1428

LAHORE, July 7: Applications for Haj-2007 are likely to be invited by the middle of July, and only the travel fare for pilgrims has been increased. Ministry of Zakat, Ushr and Religious Affairs Federal Secretary Vakil Ahmed Khan said this at the meeting of the Senate standing committee on religious affairs presided over by Senator Maulana Sami-ul-Haq at the Agriculture House here on Saturday.

Mr Ahmed told the committee that a petition of the ministry was lying pending with the Supreme Court regarding Haj operators’ selection and its hearing would be held on the July 10. “In case no verdict of Supreme Court is given on the next hearing, the Haj directorate will have no option but to go ahead in the light of Lahore High Court decision of upholding the stance of the Religious Affairs Ministry against 11 Haj operators,” he said.

He said the ministry was strictly monitoring performance of 544 Haj operators and taking action accordingly.

He said the Saudi Arabia government had increased Pakistan’s Haj quota from 150,000 to around 159,000 pilgrims which would be distributed equally between regular and private schemes.

He said the raise in Haj fare would be applicable only on travel charges of the pilgrims, under which those travelling to Saudi Arabia from Karachi, Quetta, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar and Islamabad would have to pay an additional fare of Rs3,500 and Rs4,200, respectively.

This increase, he said, was still Rs11,000 less than the charges of scheduled flights.

The committee condemned the raise in Haj fares and said that other means of transportation should also be considered for pilgrims’ travel to Saudi Arabia.

They also agreed to recommend to the Foreign Affairs Ministry to issue multiple visas to Chinese pilgrims who travelled to Saudi Arabia via Pakistan, so that they could be saved from facing problems while re-entering Pakistan on their way back to China.

WORKSHOP: A one-day workshop for bankers on ‘how to receive and process Haj applications’ was held at regional headquarters of Habib Bank.

Ministry of Religious Affairs Joint Secretary Muhammad Sarwar was the chief guest on this occasion.

The workshop was participated by bankers from Lahore, Okara, Kasur, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Narowal and Gujrat.

Lahore Haj Director Farogh Aftab Zaidi and the bank’s Regional Assistant General Manager Aftab Rabbani Dar were also present on the occasion.—APP