Pakistani Hajj pilgrim traceless

Family running from pillar to post to locate missing relative

SHABQADAR: The whereabouts of an octogenarian hailing from Charsadda, who went to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, has yet to be known despite repeated attempts by his family.

Even the Ministry of Religious Affairs has been clueless about Haji Abdul Ghafoor, 80, who had reportedly gone missing on August 19 after praying in Masjid-e-Nabawi.



His son, Imdad Ullah Khyal, told The Express Tribune that his father departed for Saudi Arabia on August 18 in the company of a Hajj group.

According to Khyal, his father exchanged harsh words with security guards stationed at the mosque, who had taken him into custody.

“My father cannot speak Arabic and illiterate. The Hajj group he was part of had informed me that he was released later on, but he could not reach his hotel,” Khyal said. He said the Directorate Hajj had assured his family that every effort would be made to trace him, but added so far no news about his whereabouts has been heard from any quarters.



He said in case he had died there or was in jail, “then at least the Pakistani authorities should inform us”. Khyal said his family has been passing through a nightmarish situation and added that the ministry had confirmed to the family that his father was not in the custody of the Saudi authorities and that the authorities concerned have been trying their best to locate him.

On the other hand, the religious affairs ministry said that it was trying its best to locate him. Khyal has appealed the chief justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2016.