SMS service launched to prevent private Hajj fraud

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has launched a short message service (SMS) to help saving private Hajj pilgrims from fictitious Hajj Group Organising companies' (HGOs) fraud.



According to official sources, an intending pilgrim, desiring to perform the sacred religious ceremony privately through Haj Group Organiser (HGO) should send the first four digits of that particular HGO's enrollment number from his mobile phone to 8331 to check its authenticity.

The intending pilgrim would promptly receive a reply, containing details about the enrollment status of that HGO, name of its chief executive, its allotted quota and address. The quota status of any HGO should be confirmed from the ministry's relevant department by contacting through a phone call to the official numbers.

The ministry claims no responsibility for any fraud with the intending pilgrim, who inked an agreement with any HGO or travel agent without checking the enrollment status and allotted Hajj quota of his relevant HGO.



The ministry has made mandatory for all HGOs to deposit five per cent of their each private Hajj package to ministry as a performance guarantee.