The post Haj flights operation, which started on 12th December for transporting 164,647 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia back to Pakistan would be completed on tomorrow (Monday), a senior official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs said on Saturday. The pilgrims had gone to perform the religious obligation of Haj under the government and private schemes.
"The successful and timely completion of pre and post Haj flights operation is a big achievement of the ministry," Joint Secretary (Haj), Ministry of Religious Affairs Muhammad Jamil said. He said with the arrival of four flights on January 12, one each at Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar airports, the post Haj flights operation would be over.
He said as many as 436 flights had been operating to bring back 164,647 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan. The Joint Secretary expressed complete satisfaction over the smooth conduct of the entire operation since November 2 last year. He said the government of Pakistan had deployed 978 seasonal staff including medical personnel at Khuddam-ul-Hujjaj and Local Khuddam at Jeddah, Makkah and Madina to facilitate the pilgrims.
Muhammad Jamil said an effective mechanism was in place to properly and promptly address minor complaints of the pilgrims during the Haj. While, the Complaint Disposal Cell, Ministry of Religious Affairs has started compiling complaints against private Haj operators, who showed negligence in providing facilities to pilgrims and violated their agreements, he added.
The Joint Secretary said that a detailed report about complaints of private Haj operators would be issued after completion of the post Haj flights operation. He said the report would be based on complaints filed by individuals as well as published in newspapers.
"Stern action would be taken against operators found guilty and caused any inconvenience to pilgrims," he said, adding that "there are some complaints by pilgrims that some private Haj operators did not provide the agreed accommodation in Makkah and Madina".
He further said that on gross violation of the agreement, license of such operators could be cancelled or their quota for next Haj scheme may be scurtailed. The Complaint Disposal Cell, 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.