A meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Religious Affairs was held under the chairmanship of acting chairperson Shagufta Jumani on Monday, during which members discussed the allocation of Hajj quota for parliamentarians.
During the meeting, the committee requested the Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousaf to allocate a Hajj quota for members of parliament. Shagufta Jumani proposed that each member of parliament should be allowed to send 10 people for Hajj and said that members should submit the names to the ministry on official letterhead.
She emphasized that every committee member should be given the opportunity to send people for Hajj, stating that such an arrangement would satisfy members and also bring spiritual reward. She suggested that the allocation should not be referred to as a “Hajj quota.”
Committee members expressed support for the proposal. A minority member of the National Assembly, Nelson Azim, also demanded a Hajj quota, recalling that he had been allotted a quota of 20 people in 2010, which he had utilized to send pilgrims for Hajj. He said similar facilities should be provided now as well.
Sardar Yousaf participated in the meeting online. He stated that the ministry accepts the names proposed by members of parliament for Hajj and confirmed that the names sent by the Minister of State had also been included.
Concluding the discussion, Shagufta Jumani reiterated that each member of parliament should be allowed to submit 10 names for Hajj.
