Umrah arrangements: Court issues notice to travel agency

Petitioner said when they reached Makkah they discovered that their accommodation was 750 metres from Baitullah.

LAHORE: A consumer court issued notice to the chief executive of a travel agency for July 5 in a suit seeking damages of Rs2,037,500 for allegedly providing poor services during umrah. Petitioner Mubarik Ali Bhatti said that his family had agreed to pay Rs270,000 to Karwan-i-Syedul Mursaleen International for two way tickets, accommodation in Makkah and conveyance for Umrah and Ziarat for three people. He said that they had paid Rs35,700 extra to ensure that their accommodation was no more than 300 metres far from Baitullah. He said that he had paid Rs100,000 on February 21, Rs100,000 on March 7 and Rs70,000 at the time of departure. He said that when they reached Makkah they discovered that their accommodation was 750 metres from Baitullah. Also, he said the accommodation was of poor quality. He asked the court to direct the respondent to pay him Rs2,000,000 damages and Rs37,500 for a closer-to-Baitullah accommodation. The court issued notices for July 5. Nawaz Atari, chief executive of Karwan-i-Syedul Mursaleen International, told The Express Tribune that the petitioner had agreed to being accommodated around 700 metres from Baitullah. He said that he will contest the charges in court.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 28^th, 2012.