Pakistan's Supreme Court Keeps This Year's Hajj Quota Allocations; Orders Changes For 2012

In Pakistan, private tour operators have been challenging the manner in which Hajj quotas were allocated this year to Pakistan's private tour operators. Thirteen tour operators sued the Federal Government and several government ministries claiming that the Ministry of Religious Affairs had allocated quotas on the basis of personal favoritism and political influence. The suit also challenged the Ministry's decision to deny a quota for new tour operators. (See prior posting.) In early June, the Lahore High Court declared the 2011 policy illegal and directed that quotas for this November's pilgrimage be reallocated in a transparent manner.  The Nation reports that today, Pakistan's Supreme Court set aside the Lahore High Court's order. The Supreme Court held that this year's quotas will not be changed given the loss it would cause to tour operators and the inconvenience that would be created for the 90,000 pilgrims involved. However the Court ordered that a coordinated policy, which will include new tour operators, is to be implemented for 2012.