Pakistan

Saudi govt hands over 66.5m riyal to Pakistan

Money to be distributed among Pakistani pilgrims who had to suffer because of poor residential arrangements.

Express November 24, 2010

The Saudi Hajj minister Fawadul Farsi handed over a cheque worth 66.5million riyal to Pakistani Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi on Wednesday.

The money is to be distributed among Pakistani pilgrims who had to suffer because of poor residential arrangements during Hajj, with each pilgrim to be given Rs5,500 in compensation. The money will be distributed once the religious minister returns to Pakistan.

In an earlier report published in The Express Tribune, the Saudi minister was quoted as saying that he wanted to pay the money as a token of love for Pakistani pilgrims. While Kazmi had said the Saudi government is not paying the money as compensation or a fine but for spreading goodwill among Pakistani people.

COMMENTS (8)

S RANA | 13 years ago | Reply The is a warning to other ministers that this responsibility is trust of the people and remember the french revolution!!!!!

Rizwan T Khan | 13 years ago | Reply I read in Dawn the amount is 6.6 million Riyals, not 66.5 million. Is this the mistake of tribune or the minister is too foolish (being polite)?

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Rizwan T Khan | 13 years ago | Reply Only Rs5,500 for the exchange of mountain size difficulties faced by poor pilgrims, LOL. So this would solve this issue Saeed Sb? How about getting your whole team including yourself kicked out of the ministry. That might work as just a 1 min cool breeze for these pilgrims whose wounds are still extremely deep and fresh. Mager this whole amount would be equally distributed not amongst the pilgrims but Seed's Hajj team with the lion share for himself. We are worse than wolves.

Anwar Hasan | 13 years ago | Reply SR 66500000 X 23 = Rs.1,530,000,000 / Rs.5,500 = 280,000 hajis

Umar Hayat | 13 years ago | Reply Something doesn't compute here. 66.5 million riyals is more than 1.5 billion rupees. At Rs. 5,500 per pilgrim, this would imply that more than 250,000 pakistanis did hajj this year? that sounds preposterous. Are the editors sure this is 66.5 million riyals not 6.5 million riyals?

Kamal | 13 years ago | Reply Do any one out there know that money is going to be distributed???????

Umayr Masud | 13 years ago | Reply Only if it would reach the Pakistani Pilgrims.. alas the people who did commit the crimes of corruption will land this money as well .. it will be a bonus

Syed A. Mateen | 13 years ago | Reply Complete investigations should be held as why Pakistani Hajj Pilgrims faced severe problems in Saudi Arabia and who are the people responsible for their sufferings? It was the duty of Government of Pakistan to provide basic necessities to the pilgrims while they went to perform Hajj. Rs.5,500/- per person as compensation to a Haji is not enough. It is not sure whether the Haji’s will get this compensation or not, though the Saudi Government has handed over the cheque of 66.5 million Riyals to Pakistani Minister of Religious Affairs. The incompetent Religious Minister could not make adequate arrangements for the Haji’s and should resign from his post upon his arrival in Pakistan. FIA should conduct an inquiry against the Religious Minister as well as all those who were behind the suffering of the Haji’s and responsibility should be fixed on all those who were responsible for the agony of uncounted Haji’s who went under the government sponsored Hajj Scheme.

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