KARACHI: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yusuf has said that the Hajj and Umrah Operation Bill will be tabled soon in the Parliament for approval and this initiative would help Hajj pilgrims to resolve their longstanding issues. The minister made these remarks while addressing the certificate distribution ceremony of Travel Agents Association of Pakistan (TAAP) at a local hotel.
Saudi Arabia’s Consul General to Karachi Nayef Al Ghamdi, Vice Consul General Karachi Hani Abid Ramzani, TAAP Chairman Muhammad Asif Sharif, TAAP Senior Vice Chairman Afzal Ahmed Siddiqui and TAAP General Secretary Sardar Faisal were also present on the occasion.
The minister said, “The Bill would help pilgrims to get rid of those agents who loot money from them.”
He congratulated the Hajj operators for making Hajj 2016 a great success and said it was a challenge to come up to the expectations of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in terms of facilitating Hajj pilgrims. Yusuf said the government would collaborate with the Hajj operators to bring improvements in Hajj operations.
The minister also urged TAAP to introduce Hajj packages to improve services and facilitate for Hajj pilgrims. He said, “This year, the ministry had received 280,000 Hajj applications from different parts of the country.”
Yusuf said that during the previous government’s tenure, Hajj pilgrims had expressed dissatisfaction over Hajj arrangements. He added that the efforts made by the present government during the last three years to facilitate the Hajj pilgrims had boosted their confidence. He said, “Smooth Hajj operation was made possible through the joint efforts of the government and private sector.”
Nayef Al Ghamdi said KSA was keen to take bilateral ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to new heights. He added that Saudi Arabia would always support Pakistan.
