16 April 2024 05:17 pm
Each year the Saudi Arabian government allocates quotas to each country in order to manage the influx of pilgrims.
Sri Lanka had been allocated 3,500 pilgrims this year which had been allocated to different travel agents.
The Court of Appeal made the interim order following a petition filed by a travel agent.
The travel agent alleged that the Haj Committee had arbitrarily suspended their travel license for a period of two years.
In the petition the petitioner United Travels said that the decision by the commitee to suspend his license for two years was done for collateral reasons.
The petitioner asked that he be registered as a travel operator for 2024 and to suspend the allocation made in December 2023.
In his order Justice D.N. Samarakone ordered the registration of United Travels as a tour operator and the suspension of the previous allocation made by the Haj Commitee which did not include the petitioner company.
Attorney-at-Law Hafeel Farisz with Shannon Thilekaratne appeared for the petitioner.
Hejaaz Hizbullah with Shifan Maharoof appeared for the Haj Committee. Mihiri de Alwis appeared for the Attorney General.