LAHORE - The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought reply and parawise comments from ministry of religious affairs on a petition challenging Haj Policy 2010 and its discriminatory application for allocation of quota to all Haj Group Organisers (HGOs). Senior LHC Judge Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry passed these orders while hearing the petition filed by Haj Group Organisers through their counsel Muhammad Azhar Siddique advocate. Further proceedings on the petition will resume on June 28. The petition was filed by five HGOs including Zainab Haj Services (pvt) Limited, Lahore, Top Care Haj Umrah Services (pvt) Limited, Multan, Aljasim-Travels & Tours (pvt) Limited, Lahore, Wahid International Haj Services (pvt) Limited, Jhang and Pakeeza Haj & Umrah Services (pvt) Limited, Vehari. The petitioners counsel submitted the Haj Policy-2010 was in conflict with fundamental rights of the petitioners and thus void. He said the Supreme Court had directed the ministry of religious affairs, zakat & usher to send the names of petitioners to Saudi Arabian government in Jan 2010 for the allotment of Munzaim number. But, he said, the ministry ignored the directions of the apex court while issuing Haj Policy for the current year, which was direct violation of the orders of Supreme Court and thus the role of the government was defamatory and in defiance of the apex courts orders. He alleged the ministry awarded Haj quotas adopting a policy of favouritism and under political consideration. The counsel prayed to the court to declare the Haj Policy-2010 as illegal, unconstitutional, without jurisdiction, based on favouritism and nepotisms. He said the criteria laid down for the purposes of applying and awarding of Haj quota for 2010 should also be declared null and void. He also prayed that to avoid monopoly, political gains and other advantages, a direction be given to the ministry of religious affairs to promulgate a statue, sub-legislation, rules and regulations immediately. Till the final decision on this petition the operation on Haj Policy 2010 may be suspended, the counsel added.