March 19, 2003	Wednesday	Muharram 15, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, March 18: About 182 of those pilgrims who left for Saudi Arabia from Islamabad airport have not returned to the country with the completion of post Haj operation, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said.

Interestingly, this shortfall in the number of returning pilgrims includes 10 infants.

As many as 21,760 pilgrims, including 58 infants, had flown from Islamabad to perform Haj. The figures collected after the completion of the Haj operation showed that 21,578 pilgrims returned.

An official of the CAA, talking to this reporter, said the death toll of pilgrims from the entire country was around 100.

The figure of 182, only for Islamabad, suggests that a large number of them had deliberately stayed back after Haj.

The CAA officials further said PIA had to fly an extra flight to bring back the pilgrims owing to mismanagement of officials deputed in Saudi Arabia to look after the arrangements.