Public asked to send Hajj complaints to FIA

PAC chairman says proper investigation needs to be conducted

ISLAMABAD:

The Public Accounts Committee of parliament has asked the public to send their complaints about the problems faced during the recently concluded Hajj to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) so that they can be investigated.

The PAC meeting headed by its Chairman, Noor Alam Khan, on Monday took up the matter of problems faced by the Hujjaj during Hajj 2023.

In the meeting, Federal Religious Affairs Secretary Dr Aftab Akbar Durrani while giving a briefing said that this year, 1,790 Hajj assistants were sent. According to the law of Saudi Arabia, Durrani said, there should be an assistant for every hundred pilgrims.

Chairman Noor said, "Secretary Sahab, you did not come to the last meeting [due to ill health]. Where is your health certificate?

“Your additional secretary had also gone on Hajj, the religious affairs minister, the religious affairs secretary, the religious affairs additional secretary and other staff had also gone on Hajj. The president and the religious affairs minister were there, so what was the need for so many staff?

“It is the sole duty of the Hajj director to oversee the Hajj operations.”

Noor asked despite the presence of so many VVIP personalities, what kind of treatment was meted out to the Pakistani pilgrims?

Noor said that no complaints were received during the tenure of late Mufti Shakoor, the religious affairs minister from 2022 to April 2023. “Now, why have people made so many complaints?” he asked, adding that people should send their complaints to the FIA so that an investigation could be conducted.

“How does the Ministry of Religious Affairs send Hajj assistants to government officials?”

Noor said that there were 1,700 names and the list presented had 80 pages. “How many politicians are there in it? What service would the SSP and additional secretary have rendered to the pilgrims?”

The religious affairs secretary said that government employees were also given TAD by their department. This year, he said, 1,790 Hajj assistants were sent and according to the law of Saudi Arabia, there should be one assistant for every hundred pilgrims.

The secretary said that the Ministry of Religious Affairs was responsible for the pilgrims in Makkah and Madina. “The arrangements for the Hajj days are made by the Saudi government.”

Noor said that this list will be made public.

He said that only one month was left for the term of the assembly to end and the solution should be found immediately.

Committee member Mohsin Aziz said that the assembly was not ending yet. Chairman Noor said, “You should have it extended.”

Aziz said that it was under consideration.