Hajj on visit visas: FIA nabs fraudulent travel agent

FIA arrested the owner of Air World Travels and Tours for sending 100 people for Hajj on visit visas last year

RAWALPINDI: Nearly six months after pilgrims had complained that they had been sent to Saudia Arabia to perform Hajj on visit visas, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Tuesday finally arrested the travel agent suspected in the case, it has been learnt.

FIA officials arrested Attiqur Rehman, the owner of Air World Travels and Tours, from Islamabad for sending around 100 people to Saudi Arabia for Hajj on visit visas in July last year.



FIA Investigation Officer Ahmed Ali Shah told The Express Tribune that the agency had received complaints from a pilgrim Hajji Mustafa Mughal in addition to directions from federal ombudsman and federal ministry of religious affairs to look into the case.

After conducting a thorough inquiry, the FIA booked Rehman on January 20, 2017, under sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The investigator added that Rehman would be presented in a court of law to obtain his physical custody for further investigation.

Mughal had accused Rehman of advertising pilgrimage on Hajj visas. However, the travel agent sent the complainant and his wife on Hajj last year on visit visas.

Earlier Mughal had told The Express Tribune that he paid Rehman Rs900, 000 in Hajj travel fee for two people in June last year.



He added that they were only handed their passports just before they entered the Benazir Bhutto International Airport for before departing for Madina. When they checked the passports, they discovered that it had been stamped with visit visas instead of Hajj visas.

After boarding the plane, Mughal said, they discovered that were at least 25 other people travelling on visit visas for Hajj. They were all shocked when they learnt that under Saudi laws, it was a crime to perform Hajj on a visit visa.

Moreover, he said that the tour operator did not provide them hotel and food in Makkah and Madina which they had been promised.

Last September, after the issue was highlighted in The Express Tribune, the ministry of religious affairs took notice of the matter. Ministry officials said that Rehman was not registered with the ministry as a Hajj operator and forwarded the case to FIA for further action.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2017.