0
ISLAMABAD: The Deobandi-Barelvi schism is increasingly being reflected in the ongoing Haj scandal as the leading characters follow either of the two schools of thought.
Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi is a follower of the Barelvi school of thought, whereas one of his detractors, the chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on religious affairs, Maulana Mohammad Qasim of the JUI-F, is a follower of the Deobandi school of thought.
Maulana Qasim was also head of a five-member review committee of the two houses of parliament which, after a visit to Saudi Arabia sometime ago, accused the Director General of Haj Directorate, Rao Shakeel, of financial corruption and recommended his immediate replacement.
Mr Shakeel, who is presently in the custody of FIA, in turn accused Mr Kazmi of corruption and bribery at a press conference in Lakki Marwat on Sunday.
The acrimony between the two schools of thought further came out into the open when JUI-F Senator Azam Swati accused Mr Kazmi of having been involved in corruption while making Haj arrangements.
According to sources, Mr Kazmi complained to the prime minister that the JUI-F leaders had ganged up against him because of his Barelvi background.
They said that after joining the coalition government at the centre, the JUI-F had sought the religious affairs ministry, but it went to Mr Kazmi who was elected from Rahimyar Khan on a PPP ticket.
Since then Mr Kazmi has not been in the good books of JUI-F lawmakers.
The JUI-F lawmakers decided to take him on when Mr Kazmi refused to accept the Maulana Qasim-led committee’s recommendations about Haj directorate in Saudi Arabia.
Talking to Dawn, a former religious affairs secretary said it was quite surprising to see parliamentarians issuing statements against each other even though none of them had anything to do with Haj arrangements.
Accepting the idea that the verbal duel between the two federal ministers was the result of their sectarian and political differences, the former secretary, who had looked after Haj arrangements for five years, said the religious affairs ministry had always been the most sought after assignment for all religious political parties because of their specific constituencies.
He said the entire responsibility of the mess lay on incumbent religious affairs secretary Agha Sarwar Qazalbash and he should have solid evidence to shift the blame on Rao Shakeel.
