A source at the FIA office in Rawalpindi said that Mustafa’s complaint had been sent to the agency’s headquarters for a legal opinion. PHOTO: AFP
RAWALPINDI: The Federal Ombudsman has sought a response from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general on a complaint filed by an elderly man who, with his wife and dozens of others, were sent to Saudi Arabia for Hajj on a visit visa.
The complainant has alleged that a hajj operator cheated them and put them in difficult situation in the Middle Eastern kingdom.
Ghulam Murtaza filed a complaint with the ombudsman saying that the FIA paid no heed to his complaint against Attiqur Rehman, chief executive of Air World Travels and Tours, for sending him and his wife to Saudi Arabia for Hajj on visit visas.
In directions to the FIA, the ombudsman noted that the hearing of the complaint would be held on November 2, and that FIA officials were required to submit their response to the complaint.
In his complaint, Mustafa had said that he approached officials of the federal religious affairs ministry and the FIA for initiating legal action against the man who cheated them and put them in danger as performing Hajj on a visit visa is a criminal act under Saudi law and is punishable with up to 10 years in prison.
Narrating his ordeal, Mustafa said that the agent handed over their passports at Islamabad airport on the day they were booked to fly for Madina and that they only found out that their passports were stamped with visit visas instead of Hajj visas. He said that they were also not given the promised residences, food, or transportation in Madina or Makkah.
Interestingly, the federal religious ministry took notice of a story published by The Express Tribune on September 21 regarding the ordeal of hundreds of pilgrims who were sent to Saudi Arabia on visit visas.
An official in the ministry told The Express Tribune that they had sent the complaint to the FIA to take legal action against Rehman for running newspaper advertisements offering Hajj packages when he was not registered with the ministry as a Hajj tour operator. The official said that the ministry could not take action against the agent as he was not registered with them, but the FIA can register a case against him for defrauding pilgrims.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Mustafa said that he had not been able to contact Rehman since they returned to Pakistan in September. He said that the agent had also stopped visiting his office in Aabpara Market in Islamabad.
A source at the FIA office in Rawalpindi said that Mustafa’s complaint had been sent to the agency’s headquarters for a legal opinion. He said that after receiving the opinion, the FIA would respond to the notice from the ombudsman.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24th, 2016.
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ