September 09, 2008	Tuesday	Ramazan 8, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Sept 8: The Adviser to the Prime Minister on Religious Affairs, Hamid Saeed Kazmi, admitted in the Senate on Monday that he had revised Haj quota of tour operators on pressure from legislators to gain their support for Asif Ali Zardari in the presidential election.

Leader of the House Mian Raza Rabbani, however, said that the Haj quota allocation had nothing to do with the presidential poll.

Earlier, the Senators alleged massive irregularities in Haj quota. The adviser said that he had reduced or increased Haj quota in a bid to gain maximum votes for the PPP’s presidential candidate.

Citing an example, he said that on the insistence of Senator Dr Ismail Buledi of JUI-F he had raised the quota of one operator, but could not accommodate the other.

He, however, denied that he had done so on the instructions of Mr Zardari.

Earlier, Allama Abbas Komaili of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement said that the government was involved in slashing and increasing Haj quotas. He said contrary to the Supreme Court’s directives, only three per cent (2,200 out of 85,000 Haj pilgrims) quota was allocated to the Shia community. He said the matter should be referred to the house committee.

The PM’s adviser said that Haj expenses had been raised due to increase in petroleum prices and hike in accommodation charges in Makkah.

He said the Haj policy envisaged automatic permission to around 13,000 people who did not get a chance in the last two Haj seasons. Out of 150,000 applications, 60,000 would be put to ballot, he added.

Kamran Murtaza, of the JUI-F, pointed out that lawmakers from Balochistan had been assured by Syed Khurshid Shah, when he had additional charge of the ministry of religious affairs, that Haj quota for the province would be increased but it had not been done.

The PM’s adviser expressed ignorance about the assurance, but promised to try to accommodate Balochistan lawmakers.

Mr Rabbani assured Baloch senators that the matter would be resolved to their satisfaction.