Hajj inconvenience: ‘Pilgrims being housed too far away’

The committee has advised to increase transport services three-fold considering the distances involved

Members of the parliamentary committee for religious affairs expressed dissatisfaction over the residences allotted to the ‘white category’ pilgrims in Makkah, saying they were too far away for comfort, Express 24/7 reported. According to sources, committee members Senator Maulana Saleh Shah and Maulana Qasim Jaan voiced concerns over the allotted residences. The residences, they say, are located over eight kilometres from the Mosque. Residences secured at Azizia, another locality in Makkah, are also more than seven kilometres from the Masjid al Haram. The committee has advised DG Hajj to increase transport services three-fold considering the distances involved, the report said. Committee members are set to present a detailed report on the matter soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2011.