F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court rejected the federal government’s request of increasing the annual Hajj pilgrimage quota to Saudi Arabia.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar headed the three member bench. Deputy Attorney General Sohail Mahmood appeared before the court on Tuesday.
Sohail Mahmood informed the bench that the Islamabad High Court, in a judgment last month, had reduced the government quota from 67 per cent to 60 per cent whereas it was reverted later by the federal cabinet.
The bench asked the deputy attorney general that how the cabinet could topple a court order.
During the hearing, the chief justice inquired into the ‘illegality’ of the high court order on which the judgment has been challenged by the government. He then dismissed the government’s appeal.
The chief justice also observed that people should have the facility to perform a comfortable pilgrimage.
On March 16, the Islamabad High Court had set the Hajj quota at 60 per cent for government and 40 per cent for private Hajj operators for this year. Earlier, the government had set its own quota at 67 per cent and the rest for private tour operators
