The government should blacklist such tour operators and travel agents that had plundered the Haj pilgrims in the Private Hajj Scheme and violated the agreement and recovered the amount to compensate the affectees besides cancellation of their permission. It was demanded by Affectees Action Committee (AAC) chairman, while addressing a press conference on Monday along with Haji Muhammad Hanif, Haji Muhammad Ismail, Haji Khalil Ahmed Chaudhry.
The Haj pilgrims who were looted by the private tour operators and the travel agents have appealed to President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to frame new Hajj Policy with their consultation, as they had experienced many difficulties in performing 'Hajj' because the tour operators betrayed them.
He said that tour operators took Haj pilgrims to Lahore from Multan and back by train while they were bound to take them by air. They did not provide foreign exchange in Saudi Arabia for "Qurabi" or for shopping nor they provided transport for Mina, Arafat and Mazdalfa, he added.
He said they provided residential facilities in slum area of Makkah Mukarma, while in Mina they provided tents of 30'(11' for 52 persons and ladies were forced to stay with Na-Mehrams.
He also said that Khuddam-ul-Hajjaj were tour operators' own family member who did not provide any service or facility to them and all expenses on laundering the clothes or transport were met by Haj pilgrims themselves.
Explaining the details, Labbaik Holy Tours, Multan had got Rs 42.5 million (Rs 85,000 per head) from 500 Haj pilgrims and fixed the departure date for December 20, 2004 to leave for Jeddah, but it asked them to reach at Lahore on December 30. It pretended that seats are not available in PIA flight for Lahore. Next day they left for Jeddah where this company provided us residential facilities in slum area where they kept their Ahram clean.
He said that they did not provide money for shopping or any other expenses, nor provided transport nor make any payment for "Qurbani". Many other tour operators created troubles for the Haj pilgrims.
He also alleged that some high-ups of the Ministry of Religious Affairs issued permits to their kith and kins under private Haj scheme and they fleeced the pilgrims ruthlessly.
He demanded stern action against the responsible persons.
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