ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has sought details from the religious affairs ministry about six properties in Saudi Arabia that were donated by the nawab of Bahawalpur for the stay of Haj pilgrims.

The PAC met in the Parliament House on Thursday to examine an audit report of the religious affairs ministry. The committee was apprised that the nawab of Bahawalpur had donated six buildings — five in Makkah and one in Madina — in 1906 to facilitate Haj pilgrims’ stay in Saudi Arabia.

The secretary to the ministry told the committee that from 1906 to 1966, “managers” used to look after the buildings. The possession of one building was handed over to the grandson of a Saudi manager after he claimed ownership, the secretary said.

The Saudi citizen was given control of a portion of another building later.

The secretary further said three buildings were taken over by the Pakistan embassy in Jeddah, but two of them were later demolished.

The embassy invested the money received as compensation for these properties in the stock market, he added.

According to the secretary, the Pakistan House in Madina was also demolished in 1988 to make way for a new project and the Saudi government paid 26 million riyals to Pakistan as compensation.

The Pakistan mission purchased another building in Madina for 19m riyals.

The secretary informed the PAC that the existing building of Pakistan House in Madina would be demolished soon as part of a redevelopment project.

PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan had asked the foreign secretary to attend Thursday’s session for a briefing on issues related to buildings owned by Pakistan in Saudi Arabia. But an additional secretary of the ministry told the committee that the secretary was unable to appear because he was at the Islamabad Airport to receive Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

Noor Alam Khan expressed displeasure over the official’s explanation and asked him to leave the meeting.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2022