The Ministry of Religious Affairs has successfully completed Haj operation in which a record 1,64,647 pilgrims, both under government and private schemes, performed Haj-2008. A total of 1,49,333 applications under government scheme were received which were 13,000 less as compared to the last year.
The parliamentarian quota including the Governors, Chief Minister, Federal Ministers was retained.
The labour quota of 500 seats remained the same as per last year and the sponsoring agencies were asked to send their recommendations to the Ministry of Labour and Manpower well in time before the closing date. All the applications received under government scheme were sent to Nadra for verification of CNIC. A balloting was held as the applications were received in excess of the seats available under the government scheme.
This year too, as many as 17,890 applicants, who had been unsuccessful in balloting during last two years consecutively under government scheme, were declared successful without ballot.
A total of 85,000 pilgrims were selected to perform Haj under government scheme while remaining 79,647 were sent through the private Haj organisers. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Saudi Arabian Airlines operated 436 flights to ferry intending pilgrims from all international airports of the country to Jeddah and Madina.
This year, 30,000 pilgrims were directly flown to Madina from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. Both the airlines also operated 436 special Haj flights to bring Pakistani pilgrims back home after Haj. A senior official in the Ministry expressed complete satisfaction over the smooth and timely conduct of the entire Haj operation.
However, the Minister for Religious Affairs, Hamid Saeed Kazmi, who personally supervised arrangements during Hajj in Saudi Arabia, admitted that the pilgrims had to face some difficulties regarding accommodation and travelling. The accommodation problem was mainly owing to unavailability of buildings near Haram Sharif, as most of them had been demolished by the Saudi authorities.
Secondly, there was a considerable delay in finalising arrangements including late start of inviting Haj applications, he added. About travelling problems, he informed that about 400 buses hired for Pakistani pilgrims were not provided by the contractors that added to the hardship of the pilgrims.
He, however, said a shuttle bus service was available to take pilgrims to Mina and bring them back to Makkah but it used to take too much time. A contingent of 978 seasonal staff including medical mission, Khuddam-ul-Hujjaj and local Khuddam were deployed at Jeddah, Makkah and Madina to facilitate pilgrims.
An effective mechanism was in place to properly and promptly address minor complaints of Hujjaj during the Haj. While, the Complaint Disposal Cell (CDC), Ministry of Religious Affairs has started compiling complaints against such private Haj operators, who showed negligence in providing facilities to pilgrims and violated their agreements.
Joint Secretary, Muhammad Jameel said that a detailed report about complaints of private Haj operators would soon be issued. The report would be based on complaints filed by individuals as well as published in newspapers and monitored by a team of the ministry. "Stern action would be taken against operators who found guilty and caused any inconvenience to pilgrims," he claimed.
There are some complaints by pilgrims that they have not been provided the agreed accommodation in Makkah-tul-Mukarrama and Madina-tul-Munawara by some private Hajj operators.
He further said that on gross violation of the agreement, licenses of operators could be cancelled or their quota for next Haj scheme could be curtailed. The CDC, which is headed by the Joint Secretary, has closely been monitoring the working of private Haj operators throughout the period from beginning of pre-Haj operation and would keep check till culmination of the operation.
In Makkah and Madina, hospital and dispensaries, equipped with paramedical staff including specialist doctors were set up in Makkah where provision of medicines was ensured. The main medical mission was located at Pakistan House, near Haram, with a capacity of 30 beds. The pilgrims were provided literature about the Haj rituals so that they could perform Manasik-e-Hajj in an appropriate manner.
The master trainers from the teaching faculties of Arabic and Islamic Studies Departments of the Universities and the experienced master trainers working on voluntary basis imparted training to pilgrims up to tehsil level. The provincial governments also provided all the necessary facilities for training programme.
Pakistan Television and Radio Pakistan also relay special programmes on Haj and advised the intending pilgrims to attend the training programmes regularly. Updated CDs on Haj were made available in the Haji camps at a nominal price for the benefit of the pilgrims.
Haj booklets Anwar-e-Harmain and Aamal-e-Hajj were provided to the pilgrims to enable them to prepare for Haj. The pilgrims were provided 10 litres cans of Aab-e-Zam Zam upon their arrival at home.
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