In one more main embarrassment for Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, two outstanding Members of Nationwide Meeting (MNA) on Thursday shared harrowing experiences of pilgrims from the nation who’re at present enterprise the annual Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
Making statements within the Nationwide Meeting, Shagufta Jumani and Shahida Rehmani from the Pakistan Individuals’s Celebration uncovered the claims being made by Sharif authorities of making certain a clean and seamless Haj pilgrimage for all Pakistanis.
“The meals being served to the Haj pilgrims from our nation is inedible and identical all through the day. Which firms have been allotted these contracts and on whose suggestions? The individuals on the helm of affairs have fully destroyed the system. I sincerely enchantment to you within the identify of God to have mercy on the Haj pilgrims,” mentioned Jumani.
Rehmani too highlighted the gross official negligence, severely criticising the federal government equipment.
“Seven individuals from my household are enterprise the pilgrimage this time. They’re going through main well being points as a result of meals that’s being served. The suitcases given to them broke on the airport, even earlier than they started their journey to Mecca. Issues are in such unhealthy form and there may be no person to care for Pakistanis in Mecca. They’ve been put in faraway places and there may be no person to take care of them, ” mentioned Rehmani.
Final month, the Haj organisers had known as on PM Sharif to make sure improved coordination with the Saudi authorities this time.
Saudi Arabia allotted Pakistan 179,210 Haj slots this 12 months which was evenly divided between authorities and personal schemes. Nonetheless, solely 14,000 personal purposes had been profitable, leaving hundreds unable to finish their religious journey.
Just a few weeks in the past, Saudi Arabia’s Inside Ministry had additionally issued a robust warning to Islamabad, stating that strict penalties might be imposed on Pakistani residents discovered violating Haj allow rules this 12 months.
The warning got here at a time when Pakistan formally commenced its Haj flight operations with the primary batch of 442 pilgrims departing from Islamabad to Madina underneath the Makkah Route Initiative.
The Saudi ministry acknowledged that penalties as much as SR20,000 might be relevant until June 10 on any Pakistani performing or trying to carry out Haj with out a legitimate allow. The penalty contains all sorts of visa holders, together with these coming into and staying in Mecca.
Furthermore, a wonderful of as much as SR100,000 might be imposed on anybody who applies for a go to visa on behalf of people trying to carry out Haj with out a allow, or anybody who facilitates their entry or keep within the restricted areas, including that the fines might multiply primarily based on the variety of people concerned.
It additionally made it clear to Pakistan {that a} penalty of SR100,000 might be imposed on these people who transport, shelter, or help go to visa holders in accessing the holy websites, which incorporates concealment of their presence or offering lodging in any kind in inns, shelters, personal houses, or Haj-designated housing, warning that any and all unlawful infiltrators, together with residents and overstayers, who’re caught trying to carry out Haj with out a allow might be immediately arrested, deported and banned from coming into in Saudi Arabia for at the least 10 years.
Saudi Arabia’s strict warning to Pakistan is a results of an alarming variety of beggars, unlawful guests, and residents travelling for Haj with out permits, yearly.
The Kingdom has deported at the least 4,700 Pakistani beggars prior to now three years, urging Islamabad to place the names and passports of those deported people on its no-flier listing.
“Their ever-increasing inhabitants is tarnishing the nation’s picture overseas,” admitted Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.