Nasib Shah Shinwari
LANDIKOTAL: The member of North Waziristan grand Jirga, former NA-40 candidate and the chairman of hajj organizers association of Pakistan(HOAP) FATA, Pir Aqal Shah has asked the government to resolve issues faced by FATA people and also increase the private scheme hajj quota for FATA region.
Pir Aqal Shah was talking to this scribe the other day said that the government was not serious to settle down FATA people’s issues and the private hajj scheme quota allocated for Fata was also less compared to the population of Fata regions.
He said the government should increase the FATA people’s hajj quota according to the whole population. He expressed concern over the intention and statement of the ministry of religious affairs to decrease the private hajj sector quota from 40% to 33%.
He said Pakistan private hajj companies have been providing excellent facilities since the hajj quota was allotted to the private sector and the Saudi Arab hajj officials have also applauded the Pakistan private hajj sector for the best hajj arrangements.
The NW elder criticized the authorities for ignoring the TDPs and terrorism victims of Waziristan and demanded the authorities provide financial support to those people whose houses were destroyed and partially damaged during the war against terrorism.
He said at a time when the Pakistan private hajj sector has accomplished many successful hajj operations, the ministry of religious affairs should increase the private hajj quota because Pakistan’s private hajj scheme was earning a good name for the country on the international level due to being best hajj arrangements and facilities for pilgrims.
The chairman of HOAP-KP, Faisal Saburi, and the former chairman of HOAP for Kp regions Haji Masood Khan Shinwari also talked to this scribe and expressed concern over the government plan to decrease the private hajj quota.
The HOAP representatives of Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa demanded the prime minister issue instructions to the ministry of religious affairs to resolve the issue by distributing the hajj quota with a ratio of 50:50 between the government and private sector.
It is to mention here that Sindh high court has issued a notification to the ministry of religious affairs not to announce the hajj policy for the year 2018 till the quota distribution issue was not resolved among the government and private hajj sectors.
