Ex-Pakistan minister jailed for 16 years in Haj corruption case

Kazmi had earlier spent nearly two years in prison over charges of irregularities in the 2009 Haj operation.

A court in Pakistan has sentenced a former federal minister for religious affairs in a Haj corruption case, Express news reported.
Hamid Saeed Kazmi, a member of the popular Pakistan People's Party, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his involvement in a controversial Haj corruption scandal, along with other officials.
While Kazmi was sentenced to 16 years in prison by a court in Islamabad, Director General (DG) Haj Rao Shakeel was sentenced to 40 years. Former additional secretary religious affairs Aftab Ahmed was also sentenced to 16 years.
The accused have been taken into custody by the Federal Investigation Agency. The three have been given the right to appeal in Islamabad High Court, Dawn.com reported.
Kazmi and the officials, were accused of corruption during the course of renting 'substandard' residential buildings for Pakistani pilgrims in Saudi Arabia - receiving kickbacks in the process - and inflicting a loss of billions of rupees to the national exchequer, according to local media reports.
Between 2010 and 2012, the Haj scandal rocked Pakistan's political scene, which resulted in both Hamid Saeed Kazmi and Azam Swati - ministers in the federal cabinet.
Kazmi had also spent nearly two years in prison over charges of irregularities in the 2009 Haj operation, Dawn.com reported.
A case was registered against him and he was arrested on March 15, 2011. A Rawalpindi court granted him bail on August 27, 2012.
A total of 35,000 Pakistani pilgrims were affected due to the high charges.

• Pakistan