January 18, 2003	Saturday	Ziqa'ad 14, 1423

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RIYADH, Jan 17: The government of Pakistan has officially filed an official memorandum with the Saudi authorities about the repeated violations of the contractual obligations by the Saudi Umra companies and their failure to fulfil the requirements.

Confirming it, the Saudi Arabian ambassador in Islamabad, Awad Assiri, said that the Kingdom’s embassy in Pakistan had also received several complaints and petitions from a group of Pakistani Umra performers against the poor services rendered to them in flagrant violation of the contract terms. Most of the complaints, he added, focussed on the poor accommodation facilities, against the terms of contract.

Mr Assiri said that the embassy was submitting the complaints to the concerned authorities in the Kingdom.

The ambassador said that he would meet Saudi Haj minister Iyad Madani within the next few days to acquaint him with the problems faced by some of the pilgrims and the contents of the complaints filed with the embassy in Islamabad.

He said that the new Umra regulations were enforced to ensure the comforts to the Hujjaj. “However, despite this, complaints by the Umra performers against the Umra companies are pouring in. Besides a number of other reports of violation of the agreement, most of the complaints filed indicate that the Pakistani pilgrims despite paying the full cost of the services are not provided adequate accommodation in the holy cities.”

The Saudi envoy in response to a question termed the Pakistani Haj procedures as excellent.

Referring to Pakistan’s new visit visa policy requiring those wishing to visit Pakistan to obtain visa in advance from the countries of their origin, Mr Assiri clarified that the new measures were applicable to all nationals indiscriminately, including any westerner visitor. He added that the Saudi citizen intending to visit Pakistan should state the reason for their visit in their application.

Further, they should report immediately to the Saudi embassy or the consulate upon their arrival for consultation and providing adequate guidance about the services they want in Pakistan and the business opportunities available in the country, he reiterated.

He once again stressed that there isn’t a single Saudi detained in the Pakistani prisons and all the Saudis residing in the country, be they students or businessmen, were legal residents.