KARACHI:
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khursheed Shah would be meeting the Saudi government in mid-February to hold talks on the Hajj arrangements.
Shah will be accompanied by a delegation of his ministry, and Hajj operators. After the meeting with Saudi officials, a policy framework would be sent for approval to the Cabinet, the minister said at a workshop with pilgrims, travel agents, and Hajj agencies on Sunday.
The workshop, which will also be held in Lahore and Islamabad, is the first of its kind organised by the ministry to deliberate on the pilgrims’ and tour operators’ grievances.
Shah said he would initiate an inquiry against the 125 tour operators against whom complaints have been received.
Under the new policy, pilgrims staying within 700 meters from Kaaba will be under category A, those staying between 700 and 1,200 metres under category B while those staying up to 2,000 metres from it would be under category C, Polani told The Express Tribune.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2012.
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Hi, The travel agents are involved in bribes and undertable money. I being from India have had a talk with some travel agents who agreed that in Saudi Arabia there is an agency that recognizes the agents who provides the quotas based on deposits and extra money which is HARAM source of income.
I request Saudi Arabian Hajj representatives to eliminate such a practice as it seems unfair when it comes to one of our Pillar of Islam's i.e. Hajj..
Ma'Salam