ISLAMABAD, Feb 6: The Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly called on Friday for annulment of the Haj quota scheme terming it full of anomalies and always brought bad name to the ministry of religious affairs.

Each year during the Haj season, there have been reports about lack of transparency in the distribution of Haj quota and tour operators who manage the private Haj scheme are charged with fleecing their clients.

And pilgrims return with complaints about improper arrangements by the Pakistani Haj mission in Saudi Arabia.

The PAC met at the parliament house with Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the chair.

The committee discussed irregularities pointed out by auditors in expense of the ministry of religious affairs.

Chaudhry Nisar directed religious affairs secretary Naguibullah Malik to form a committee under his supervision to prepare a report on ways the Haj operations could be improved and come back to the committee after one month.

“If you can, just get rid of the Haj quota system,” PAC member Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada said.

About inadequate arrangements by the Pakistani mission in Jeddah, Mr Nadeem Afzal Chan, another member of the committee, he could get reasonable accommodation during Haj only after a senior official had intervened on his behalf.

“I had to call a high official in the audit department back home to get proper accommodation which was managed within 10 minutes after I had made the telephone call,” he said.

He criticised officials of the ministry for not keeping their buildings tidy.

A comparison with arrangements made by the Haj missions of other Islamic countries showed that Pakistan was far behind, Mr Chan said.

When PAC member Riaz Fatiyana wanted to the difference in Haj expenses of pilgrim from India and Pakistan, Mr Malik said that Indian pilgrims paid less because their government provided subsidy and also because the Indian currency was stronger than the Pakistani rupee.