According to Hajj Committee member secretary Abdul Kalam Khan, the newly-appointed members of the 21-member Hajj Committee include Gaida Sher Khan (Kathmandu), Ruhi Akhtar (Parsa), Jamiruddin Mansur (Sarlahi), Halim Sah (Dailekh) and Islam Miya (Sangja). All these members belong to the ruling CPN-UML.
Maulana Mahamud Aalam of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic, Mohammad Mustafa of CPN-ML, Jamila Marayam Phalahi of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party and Ilmuddin Miya of Nepali Congress are among those appointed as the members of the committee.
Earlier, the government had appointed Abdul Jabbar Manjari as chairman and Khan as member secretary of the Committee. The 21-member Hajj Committee comprises two officio members from various mosques in the country and one each from Home, Foreign, Finance, Tourism and Culture and Federal Affairs ministries. The government appoints 12 other members.
Officials said one of the members in the Committee is yet to be appointed as the Maoists are yet to send name of their representative. Those planning to make pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina this year should reach Saudi Arabia by November 20, 2009. On an average, some 500 Nepali pilgrims visit holy Mecca and Medina every year.
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