A number of intended Hajis staged a protest demonstration in front of travel agent office for not providing visas to 17 intending pilgrims in spite of receiving Rs 4 million in advance. They also demanded of the Ministry of Religious Affairs to take action against the unregistered Hajj tour operators who had fleeced hundreds of Hajj pilgrims.
According to the details, 17 intended Hajis and their family members paid Rs 4 million to Shhaban travels who was not authorised for this business. Who, then approached another tour operation "Rehnuma" and paid him Rs 1.2 million in advance against 17 visas but he did not pay the remaining amount of Rs 1.26 million.
Then he provided only nine visas and said that he is unable to provide another eight visas because he did not clear the amount well in time. Ghulam Yasin, Malik Mazhar and Malik Shabbir said that they intended to perform Hajj along with their families this year, and after they submitted the application through Shaaban Travel and Tourism and handed over money around Rs 2,36,000 per person.
They said that after a few months the management of the Shaaban Travels handed over the acceptance letter to all the intending Hajis, but later the management said that the Saudi government was not given the Hajj visa to the applicant due to accomplished the Hajj quota and intended Hajis could not perform Hajj.
The participant appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister and of Pakistan to take stern action against the administration and authorities of the religious affairs. The office-bearer of Rehnuma Hajj tour operators, Ansar said that the Saudi Government did not give the visa to the applicant adding that their administration would return the money to the applicants after completion of documents.