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Pakistan
protests ill-treatment of Haj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia
Friday November 19, 2010 09:53:07 AM,
Awais
Saleem,
IANS
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Islamabad:
Pakistan has lodged an official protest with Saudi Arabia after
receiving reports of ill-treatment of thousands of Haj pilgrims
from the country and sought a hefty compensation in this regard.
Hamid Saeed Kazmi, the federal minister for religious affairs, had
to rush to Saudi Arabia a couple of days ago after he heard
reports of pilgrims facing problems in board and lodging.
Around 160,000 Pakistanis had gone to Saudi Arabia to perform the
pilgrimage.
Kazmi told Dunya TV from Saudi Arabia Thursday that "the pilgrims
had to face severe problems when they reached Mina on the second
leg of the pilgrimage".
They had to face a lot of problems because of shortage of tents.
The pilgrims had also held a protest outside the Pakistani Haj
mission in Saudi Arabia.
"The arrangements had to be done by Saudi contractors to whom this
arrangement was outsourced. The Saudi government has conceded that
the fault occurred on their side and have set up a committee
headed by Prince Nayfe to probe the matter," he said.
The minister said a new schedule would be issued before Friday for
the pilgrims facing difficulties in finding transportation to
return from Mina.
The ministry, meanwhile, summoned five Pakistani officials posted
in Saudi Arabia, who were dealing with Haj operations, back to
Islamabad immediately after the return of the pilgrims to help in
investigating the scandal.
The officials have been asked to bring with them the entire travel
records.
The ministry will be questioning these officials about a letter
written by a Saudi prince to the Pakistan Supreme Court chief
justice regarding the incident.
The authorities have already called back Haj operations director
in Saudi Arabia, Rao Shakeel, and the Federal Investigation Agency
(FIA) has launched an inquiry against him.
Rao Shakeel is believed to have played a key role in acquiring
accommodation and transportation for the pilgrims, in association
with Saudi companies to which the job was outsourced.
(Awais Saleem
can be contacted at ians.pakistan@gmail.com)
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Picture of the Day |
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On their
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