MIRPURKHAS, Nov 25: A landlord, who along with his son returned from Saudi Arabia after performing Umrah, has accused travel agents of cheating aspirants of Umrah.

Talking to journalists at the press club here on Monday, landlord Abdul Ghafoor Maher said travel agents received a huge amount under a package that included conveyance, residence and confirmed return ticket.

He said the Saudi Arabia government was not allowing passengers without confirmed return tickets and without such tickets, the people faced difficulties and sustained losses.

He said his agent was bound under the package he offered to provide five-day residence at a three-star hotel in Makkah. He said on the assurance of confirmed return tickets, he and his son boarded a PIA plane but when they reached Makkah, no accommodation was reserved for them. He said they were also not provided with transport facility and their return tickets were also not confirmed.

Mr Maher said lakhs of rupees were being looted from the people in this manner.

He further said many travel agents had arranged accommodations at remote areas in Makkah and Madina, resultantly the people were facing difficulties.

He demanded that the president, prime minister and the ministry of religious affairs should take notice of the malpractice and take action against the concerned agents.

Opinion

Editorial

Sustainable path?
13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

THE FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth ...
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...
A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...