Umrah package: Blacklisted tour operator runs off with Rs20 million, 250 passports

The company had been blacklisted but still remained open for business.

KARACHI: A number of 'tour organising firms' in the city exist only to swindle customers out of millions as they continue their affairs even after being blacklisted by the religious affairs ministry and the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan.

In the latest of such scams, Muhammad Ahmed Qadri, the head of a tour organising firm, Karwan-e-Islami International (Private ) Limi-ted, managed to get away with around Rs20 million, along with the passports of 250 would-be pilgrims, who wanted to perform Umrah.



The scammed people who had entrusted the company with their money and passports staged a demonstration on Thursday after they found its offices locked and the representatives' cell phones switched off.

"We came to know about our collective plight through the company's Facebook page and decided to hold a protest at its head office," said Mansoor Durrani, who along with four family members had paid Rs400,000 to the firm.

He said that he had last visited the office on March 28 when the representatives, while handing over photocopies of visas, asked him for the remaining half of the due amount on the pretext of buying air tickets.

The tour operating firm, whose head office was located at the Al Mustafa Terrace in Soldier Bazar, boasts to be 'the pioneer in group travelling for Hajj and Umrah'.

The officials

Qadri was blacklisted by the religious affairs ministry in January for issues in their Hajj travel services and earlier by the travel agents association over multiple financial irregularities but had still continued business.

"For duping a number of Hajj pilgrims last year, Qadri was blacklisted by the religious affairs ministry and was banned from working on any future Hajj operations," head of the Karachi directorate of Hajj, Abdul Sattar Samtio, told The Express Tribune. "He had previously failed to arrange for the return of his customers, despite having taken a payment from them, which left them stranded in Saudi Arabia."

However, until as recently as last year, the company was in the religious affairs ministry's approved list of 734 Hajj group organisers. Despite the debarment notice to its owner, the tour operating firm flaunts the official signboard that is issued by the religious affairs ministry to its approved Hajj group organisers.

Samtio asserted that the religious affairs' ministry cannot interfere with other operations of the company or its involvement in the latest scam because Umrah organisers do not come within its purview.

The chairperson of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan, Muhammad Nadeem Sharif, also asserted that the company was blacklisted for defaulting on a payment to the association two years ago.  When Muhammad Asif, who works with the tour operating firm, was approached by The Express Tribune, he confirmed that Ahmed Qardi was the owner as well as chief executive officer of Karwan-e-Islami.

"My conscience is clear.Those who have swindled would-be pilgrims out of millions are on the run," said Asif. "Now, I cannot even think about visiting the office because protestors will beat me up instead."

Asghar Abbas, whose tour operating firm, Karwan-e-Abu Zar, operates in the same building, told The Express Tribune that Qadri's firm was found involved in similar scams at least twice before. "The victims are also to blame for being lured into Umrah packages that were clearly too good to be true," he felt.

Faisal Mehmood Siddiqui, spokesperson for the Pakistan Hajj Group Organisers' Committee, agreed with Abbas and explained that the Karwan-e-Islami had even announced Umrah packages that fail to cover basic ticket expenses. "We have pursued his financial irregularities; several FIRs have been lodged and even non-bailable warrants were issued against Qadri. However, I must also blame those who hand over their money to him without proper verification."

 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2014.