ISLAMABAD, June 6: National Assembly Standing Committee on religious affairs has taken serious notice of the accommodation scam, involving bungling of millions of dollars, during the last Hajj season.

The committee has drawn up broad outlines for the next Hajj policy, fixing the number of pilgrims at 140,000, out of which 40,000 will be allowed the pilgrimage under the regular scheme, 90,000 on sponsorship and the remaining 10,000 will travel under the open Hajj scheme.

It was told that the high ups of the ministry provided cover to deputy director Hajj, Asim Majeed who was sought by NAB for involvement in a number of misappropriation cases. During this period, he had also been summoned by NAB on a number of accasions.

The officials of the ministry revealed before the committee on Tuesday that there were a number of ‘players’ who had shared the benefits of the scam.

The committee decided to prepare a report on the scam in order for the government to take swift action against those responsible for it.

The committee summoned the former secretary religious affairs, Jamil Bhutto and joint secretary, Azam Rathor on Tuesday and heard their views on the scam.

Jamil Bhutto whose contract was cancelled by the government after his ministry’s failure in proper arrangements for sending all the Hajj applicants last year, told the committee that he could not disclose some ‘big’ names involved in the scam.

The committee is also investigating a scandal of provision of accommodation to the pilgrims at exorbitant rates in Azizia, Makkah during Hajj, yet making them (pilgrims) stay at substandard accomodations.

This way the deputy director Hajj and former ambassador earned huge amounts of US dollars, told Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, a member of the committee.

The committee, which has a sketchy picture of the whole episode, has now decided to go into further details which may involve inspection on the Saudi soil.

The committee took notice of improper arrangements of flying the pilgrims to Saudi Arabia during Hajj season as well. It directed that the seating arrangements for the pilgrims be made proper.

It also came into notice that in one case 15,000 pilgrims were charged SR 1050 per head as against the actual accommodation of SR 300 per person.

In another case the ministry sent as many as 35 pilgrims on quota of ‘Huffaz’ but non of them was found to have learnt the holy Quran by heart and as a result were expelled by the Saudis, the committee was told. Adding to that, as many as 21 drafts of SR 1029 each were stolen from the ministry.