Tour operators move LHC against Haj quota

LAHORE, April 30: The Lahore High Court was moved on Saturday through a petition challenging the Haj policy-2011 and alleged discriminatory allocation of the Haj quota to tour operators. Travel Shop (Pvt) Limited and twelve other Haj tour operators filed the petition through their counsel Muhammad Azhar Siddique and prayed to the court to direct authorities to issue the Haj quota on merit after canceling all previous notifications and quota allocation. Petitioners alleged that the ministry of religious affairs allotted Haj quota to private tour operators on the basis of liking and disliking and political consideration despite clear directions from the Supreme Court to follow a merit policy. The petitioners maintained that they wrote many times to the ministry to provide the Haj policy-2011 but it was neither provided nor advertised. They said five notifications had been issued as per the policy, which were based on mala fide intention. Th e petitioners requested the court to declare the Haj policy-2011 illegal to the extent of private tour operators and issued directions for issuance of the Haj quota on merit after canceling all notifications and quota allotment. The LHC chief justice will hear this petition on Monday (tomorrow).