SWABI, April 16: While the Haj pilgrims this year will be selected on 'first come, first served' basis under the government's policy, there is severe shortage of Haj application forms in Swabi district and many people returned empty-handed from the banks on Saturday.

The Haj applications will be received from April 15 to May 10 and the names of selected people announced soon after completion of the process. The intending pilgrims and their relatives told this correspondent that it seemed that the applications were deliberately not provided to banks in small towns and cities.

During a visit to different banks in Swabi and Topi tehsil this correspondent noted that people were eagerly waiting for Haj application forms and bank officials said that they were daily approached by thousands of people for early provision of forms.

Fareed Ahmad of Topi city observed that there were many flaws in the new Haj policy and those who could approach the bank officials would get the application forms first while those who had no contacts in banks would be deprived. He said that no remedy was provided to the applicants who were unsuccessful in the balloting process last year.

A bank official in Swabi who opted not to be named said that only 20 application forms were provided so far to his bank from Mardan main branch while everyone visiting the banks should get the form. He said that officials at his bank were perplexed as to whom to give the forms, as there was always a big rush of people ready to even fight for getting a form.

Intending pilgrims belonging to proper Swabi city said that many people would lose the chance to perform Haj due the major flaw in the system i.e. non-availability of application forms. TOBACCO DEALERS:

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tobacco Dealers Association (KPTDA) on Saturday demanded representation of their members on the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) to protect the rights of tobacco business community of the province.

The demand was made at a meeting chaired by the KPTDA president, Iftikhar Ahmad, and attended by its members. They said that the tobacco growers, agriculture department and tobacco traders should represent their respective forums on the PTB. They said that the traders had the right to nominate two leaders who would protect their interests at the board and other forums from an official position.

“Our nominees will also help the PTB experts in taking steps for improving quality of our tobacco products. We should work for exporting our best quality tobacco to foreign countries,” said Mr Ahmad.

The participants also urged increase in tobacco prices in line with the raise in prices of pesticides and fertilisers. They said that they would continue to press the PTB and government for meeting the association's demands.