PAC sub body finds religious ministry violating Saudi laws during Haj

ISLAMABAD: The Department of the Auditor General of Pakistan told the sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday that the Ministry of Religious Affairs in violation of laws of Saudi Arab accommodated Hujjaj more than approved capacity in the building at Makkah that caused penalties of millions to the government of Pakistan.

The Audit officials told the sub-committee of the PAC that audit team examined contracts of the 170 buildings out of 391 buildings fired for Haj 2001 and observed that 59 cases of hired buildings, the capacity as per “Tasreeh’ (a document certifying the capacity of Hujjaj who could stay in particular building) was 31,544 but the agreements were concluded for 35,822 Hujjaj which is 4321 Hujjaj over and above the Tasreeh in 4321 Hujjaj over the capacity resulted into overpayment.

The Sub-committee of the PAC was held with the chair of its Convener Syed Naveed Qamar in which the audit Paras relating to Ministry of Religious Affairs for the year 2002-03 were examined.

The sub-committee of the PAC observed that irregularities in the hiring of buildings for Hujjaj are continuously coming before the committee for the last 15-years but so far never addressed.

The audit officials told the sub-committee of the PAC during the years 2001 and 2002 an excess payment of Saudi Riyal 9.91 million was made on one hand and 6257 Hujjaj were subjected to hardships and unhealthy environment on the other. The audit officials told the sub-committee of the PAC that it was further observed during scrutiny of contracts for hiring of buildings for accommodations of Hujjaj that against a capacity of 281, the floors handed over to Haj Directorate had the capacity of 140 pilgrims only.

Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs and DG Haj did not agree with the audit objections of the Audit officials and told the Sub-committee of the PAC that no additional payments were made as the payments were made as per number of Hujjaj. “The national exchequer did not sustain any loss and even no Haji registered complaint in this regard,” they told the committee.

Convener Sub-Committee of the PAC Syed Naveed Qamar expressed his surprise over the reply of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and observed that he was being elected as a Member of the National Assembly since 1988 and not find a single year when the Hujjaj registered their complaints in this regard.

The Sub-committee of the PAC was not satisfied with the reply of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and referred the audit para back to the Departmental Accounting Committee.

Examining another audit para, the audit officials told the committee administration of Al-Shafa Trust Eye Hospital charged the bed-charges from the patients who were getting treatment in the hospital from Zakat fund and even not utilized the Zakat funds as per rules and regulations.

However, the administration of the Al-Shafa Trust Eye Hospital rejected claims of the audit officials and told the committee that rules and regulations were always followed for the utilisation of the Zakat funds and have complete record of it.

The Sub-committee of the PAC settled the audit para while directing the administration of the Al-Shafa Trust Eye Hospital to provide all relevant record of the audit.