Heads must roll

It is a pity and quite unfortunate that 63,907 intending Pakistani pilgrims will not be able to perform Hajj this year. The onus for this negligence now officially rests on 903 companies and their umbrella organisation, HOPE. They all must undergo retribution, have their licences revoked, and be heavily penalised for their sheer incompetence and unprofessionalism.

No excuses must be entertained at any level, and none should go off the hook. The committee that has been formed by the federal government to investigate the mess must see to it that justice is done, and these operators and their associates are black-listed for all times to come.

Likewise, armchair experts in the Ministry of Religious Affairs and especially those who worked hand in glove with private operators for this year must also be shown the door.

The trajectory of carelessness is tantamount to a crime. The private sector quota wielders initially failed to understand the new policy regulations of the Saudi government and could not complete the Tawafa formalities within the deadline. But even after missing the deadline to what they called technical lacunae, they went on to hold the money deposited by the pilgrims.

They then missed a new deadline to deposit 25 per cent of the amount required for the process to proceed. Last but not least, it seems the private operators were deliberately involved in a mug-up to shore up the big finances for their personal designs at the altar of poor pilgrims who stand duped today.

This is no small upset for pilgrims as it is tantamount to playing with their sentiments, and their lifetime wish to take the holy journey. These stranded pilgrims include many expatriates who had travelled to Pakistan, and are now in a state of limbo.

The Hajj modus operandi in Pakistan has long been mired in slur and suspicion, and there are instances when pilgrims were taken for a ride, cheated and denied their promised privileges. But this year, it has gone over the brink — something that must see heads rolled from top to bottom. The trust of the people has been shattered and is in need of being restored.