ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – A local court in Islamabad has released former DG Hajj Rao Shakeel’s alleged frontman Ahmed Faiz on bail in the Hajj corruption case today (Tuesday).
The accused assured the court of his regular presence in future hearings. Earlier on Saturday, the court sentenced former Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi to 16 years in prison in the same case.
Special Judge Central Nazeer Ahmad also convicted two former senior officials of the Religious Affairs Ministry, Aftab Islam, and Rao Shakil, and awarded them 16 and 40 years in jail respectively.
Related: Hajj Corruption Scandal court awards sentence
The Hajj scam case surfaced in 2010 when a sitting minister Azam Swati accused the then minister for religious affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi of corruption., after which the latter was removed from his position by the then Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani.
The charges against Kazmi were later proved this year.
