During Tuesday’s proceedings, the Federal Investigation Agency produced incriminating evidence that proved Kazmi’s involvement in corruption during the Haj operations.
The FIA had earlier detained Pakistan’s former Haj Director Rao Shakeel and named Zain Sukhera, a close friend of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s son, Qadir Gilani, as one of the accused in the case.
According to The Associated Press, the government is investigating the alleged scam in which thousands of Pakistanis were cheated out of their money after paying the ministry for hotel rooms and transportation during Haj last year.
Kazmi’s lawyer, Khuram Khosa, said a court rejected bail for his client.
However, Kazmi said he was innocent. “ My hands are clean, I am not involved in any corruption,” he told reporters outside the court.
The scam was believed to have been worth millions of dollars.
The Supreme Court has ordered the government to refund SR700 to each of the 26,000 pilgrims who had to suffer hardships due to inadequate arrangements by the Pakistani Haj authorities.
An FIA official told the court on Tuesday that Rao Shakil had pocketed Rs.200 million through Haj operations. “A major share of the money went to Sukhera,” he added.
Judge Iftikhar Chaudhry asked the prosecution to produce Sukhera before the court, but he was informed that Sukhera had gone abroad.
Officials told Arab News that Sukhera had rented buildings for pilgrims in Makkah that were not suitable for accommodation.
