Ministry moves FIA against three Hajj group organisers

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has filed cases with Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against three Hajj group organisers (HGOs) who did not take the intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj this year. "Although, these HGOs have paid back the deposits of the intending pilgrims, but the Ministry has started legal proceedings against them under the rules and regulations," Chief Co-ordinator of the Ministry Farogh Aftab Zaidi told APP here on Saturday.
He said that three HGOs against whom the cases have been registered belong to Quetta, Lahore and Islamabad each, adding, "around 200 intending pilgrims could not proceed on the holy journey to perform the most cherished and religious obligation due to their negligence." Meanwhile, the Ministry has started compiling complaints against those HGOs who violated their agreements and showed negligence in providing facilities to pilgrims, this year.
Farogh Aftab Zaidi said a detailed report is being prepared by the ministry's complaint disposal cell (CDC) against these organisers, which would be issued after completion of the post-Hajj flights operation. The month-long flight operation that started on December 2 would complete on January 2, 2010. This year, the ministry had sent around 160,000 pilgrims under the government and private scheme to Saudi Arabia to perform the religious obligation, out of which more than 100,000 have so far returned after performing the Hajj.
Zaidi said the report would be based on complaints filed by individuals as well as complaints published in newspapers and monitored by a team of the ministry. Besides, he said that Chairman of Pakistani mission's monitoring cell in Saudi Arabia Arshad Bajwa has sent a comprehensive report to the ministry along with details of complaints against HGOs.
He said stern action would be taken against those organisers who found guilty and caused any inconvenience to pilgrims. The chief co-ordinator informed that this year around 589 registered HGOs were allocated the Hajj quota to make arrangements for pilgrims like getting their visas stamped, travelling, accommodation, food and provision of shuttle service for local travel to sacred places during Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
"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 HGOs," he said adding, that the licences of such HGOs would be cancelled on gross violation of the agreement.
Besides, he said, their guarantees could be confiscated or their quota for next Hajj scheme could be curtailed. The CDC, which is headed by Joint Secretary (Hajj) Aftab-ul-Islam Raja, has closely been monitoring the working of HGOs throughout the period from beginning of the pre-Hajj operation and would continue checking till culmination of the operation.