Seventy percent of those who perform Haj are from Pakistan's middle and lower middle class people. Most of them manage to do so with their lifelong savings. The Hajis have been taken for a ride by the PIA management, assuming that most of them will never bother to complain.
In the first instance the Hajis were overcharged by anything ranging from Rs 18,000 or more, by calculating their fares on fuel bought by the airline at $120 per barrel, when the actual price of fuel was under $70 per barrel before the start of Haj operation and is now under $40 per barrel in the post Haj flights period. The Hajis were also briefed not to bring ZamZam on their own, since the same will be provided by PIA when they depart after performance of Haj.
The national airline having already paid this to a local contractor in Jeddah and this payment was taken into account when the Haj fares were being tabulated, yet most of the Hajis have not been given ZAMZAM on arrival. The Hajis report at least 18 hours before the scheduled departure of their return flight. Till todate not a single Haj Flight to my knowledge has arrived on time, with delays ranging from 5 hours to 10 hours.
Why were Hajis from interior Pakistan booked for flights arriving at Karachi, when the airports at Peshawar, Islamabad and Lahore capable for handling these flights. Who is responsible for all this fiasco, the poor Hajis, or the ministry of Haj or the PIA management?
The Saudi authorities this year have improved and expanded the Haj Terminal at Jeddah. Most of the other airlines are operating on schedule. Will somebody in Islamabad sitting in the Presidency, PM House, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Haj or the two houses of parliament National Assembly and Senate take up this matter, hold somebody accountable?
Comments
Comments are closed.