LAHORE: The Ministry of Religious Affairs undertook before the Lahore High Court on Friday to rephrase a question in the Haj application form, “Are you Shia?”, to “Do you require Shia facilities?” as it offended the community.

A deputy attorney general submitted an undertaking to the court on behalf of the secretary of the religious affairs ministry during the hearing of a petition filed by Syed Ali Hadi and others, questioning the alleged discrimination against the Shia community during Haj.

They complained that the authorities did not provide facilities to Shia pilgrims as per their sect.

Barrister Syeda Maqsooma Zahra Bokhari, representing the petitioners, said the Shia community had been subjected to discrimination, adding that a Shia applicant had to answer the “offending question”. She requested the court to order the ministry to amend the question in the Haj application form.

Justice Ayesha A. Malik disposed of the petition in the light of the ministry’s undertaking.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2016