MAKKAH, 31 January 2004 — Pakistan’s provincial minister for Haj affairs has stressed the need to provide training to prospective pilgrims before they come here to perform Haj.
Speaking to newsmen Dr. Irfan Gul Magsi, who is the Sindh minister for religious affairs, auqaf, zakah and ushr, said laws should be enacted to regulate tour operators who send a large number of pilgrims to the Kingdom. Some of the pilgrims sent by such operators are stranded here for want of accommodation.
Errant tour operators will soon be blacklisted, said Magsi, adding that his ministry was in touch with the authorities concerned to take action against unscrupulous operators.
Such operators work in complicity with Haj service providers in the Kingdom and therefore both Pakistani and Saudi authorities should together do something about it.
He said his ministry had arranged compensation for some pilgrims who were cheated by Haj service providers.
Shahid Khan, director general of the Haj Directorate of Pakistan, said his directorate had complained to Saudi authorities about the errant Haj service providers here who failed to provide accommodation to Pakistani pilgrims.
“Back home we have asked the authorities to blacklist the tour operators there,” Shahid added.
Magsi said 312 buildings had been rented for SR145 million by the Pakistani Haj directorate to house some 70,000 pilgrims who had applied for government accommodation.
Asked about complaints that some buildings are far away from the Haram, Magsi said the buildings are located within 1300 meters of the Grand Mosque.
He said the buildings have been categorized A, B, C and D and the one closer to the Haram is more expensive. The farthest is the cheapest.
He said complaint cells, lost and found cell, medical dispensaries and a 50-bed hospital with emergency services have been set up to serve the pilgrims.
Shahid Khan said 48 Pakistani pilgrims have lost their lives, 10 of them killed in three road accidents while traveling from Makkah and Madinah.
Magsi, who complimented the Saudi government for the excellent Haj arrangements, is leading a nine-member Haj delegation that includes Abdul Qadir Jeelani-MNA (parliamentary secretary, religious affairs, Zakah and Ushr Committee), Dr Saeeda Malik (Sindh minister for women’s development), Afzal Cheema (Punjab industries minister), Hafiz Hashmat Khan from NWFP (zakah, ushr and women development), Maulana Chitrali from Balochistan (Member Central Zakah Committee), MNA-Maulana Mohammad Sadiq from NWFP), Maulvi Abdul Haq (MNA), Dr. Rahimul Haq, and Rashid Muhammad Ansari.
