LAHORE – The Lahore High Court (LHC) has been requested to initiate contempt proceedings against Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Kurshid Shah, Secretary Muhammad Azam Samma and others for defying judicial orders.
A private Haj tour operator has moved the petition through Advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique, saying the court on June 6 directed the ministry to award quota of 5,000 pilgrims to new tour operators but the ministry in connivance with old tour operators did not do so.
The petitioner said federal minister Khurshid Shah had issued a public statement on July 30 that quota could not be allocated to new Haj tour operators since old operators had completed the homework despite their ineligibility, while Azam Samma had also made a similar statement. The statements were contempt of court, and the two should be tried and punished under the contempt of court law, the petitioner held.
ACCUSED REMANDED: Civil Court Judge Mati-ur-Rehman on Saturday sent accused Abid Chuadhary and Abdul Raqeeb allegedly involved in London Olympics passport scam on 14-day judicial remand.
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials produced Abid Chaudhary and Abdul Raqeeb of Dream Land Travel Agency before the civil court. The FIA submitted that investigation against the accused has been completed and they are no more required. Abid Chaudhary stated that he was innocent and that the real culprit was Mohammad Ali Asad. On this, the court sent accused to the jail on 14-day judicial remand.
Previously, the court had granted two days physical remand of the accused. According to case details, the passport visa scam surfaced after the British tabloid ‘The Sun’ published a report of fake documents for travel to London, in connection with Pakistan’s Olympic squad.