Haj corruption case: former religious affairs minister acquitted by Islamabad High Court

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday acquitted former federal minister for religious affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi in the Haj corruption case, DawnNews reported.

Former director general (DG) Haj Rao Shakeel and former joint secretary religious affairs Aftabul Islam were also acquitted by the court.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani of IHC held a hearing regarding the Hajj Corruption case. The court accepted the appeals and proceeded acquittal orders for Kazmi, Shakeel and Aftab.

Previously Hamid Kazmi and Raja Aftab had been sentenced to 16 years jail time each, while Rao Shakeel was handed down 40 years. The three convicts were also ordered to pay a penalty of Rs150 million each.

Between 2010 and 2012, the Haj corruption scandal rocked the national political scene and led to the departure of both Hamid Saeed Kazmi and Azam Swati from the federal cabinet.

The former also spent nearly two years in prison over charges of irregularities in the 2009 Haj operation.

The former religious affair minister was slapped with allegations of involvement in the Haj corruption scandal and inflicting huge losses to the national coffers two years ago. After which a case was registered leading to Kazmi’s arrest on March 15, 2011.

Kazmi was subsequently indicted on charges of corruption in the case on May 30, 2012, to which he pleaded not guilty.

The minister and officials were accused of hiring a substandard building on exorbitant rent (for housing the pilgrims in Makkah) and receiving kickbacks in the process.

Source: Dawn