Three persons, including a former Pakistani religious affairs minister, were today sentenced up to 40 years in prison in a corruption case in which over 85,000 Hajj pilgrims were made to pay extra money for staying in Saudi Arabia.
Hamid Saeed Kazmi, a member of the Pakistan People's Party, was sentenced by a local court to 16 years in prison for his involvement in the scandal.
He was elected as lawmaker in 2008 and joined the cabinet of Yusuf Raza Gilani as minister for religious affairs.
The court also sentenced former Director General Hajj Rao Shakeel for 40 years while joint secretary for religious affairs Aftab Aslam was sentenced for 16 years.
The convict can appeal against the sentence in the high court.
The convicts were accused of making money while renting residential buildings for Pakistani pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
Kazmi was arrested on March 15, 2011.
