ISLAMABAD, July 13: The Supreme Court on Friday appointed an independent committee to scrutinise provisional allotment of quota for Haj this year. On Thursday, a three-member bench comprising Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar and Justice Falak Sher had suspended more than 77,000 quotas to private tour operators and had ordered constitution of the committee.

In its order announced on Friday, the apex court ordered constitution of the committee to be headed by Justice (retd) Karamat Nazir Bhindari of the Supreme Court also comprising two senators both from the government as well as the opposition and Secretary Religious Affairs Vakil Ahmed Khan, Advocate Gohar Ali Khan told Dawn. Mr Khan is assisting senior counsel Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan in the case.

The bench took up for hearing a challenge by the ministry of religious affairs against the LHC ruling to review its policy of allotting Haj quota on the allegations of giving arbitrary and discriminatory quota to private tour operators.