PESHAWAR, Jan 12: Hundreds of Afghan Haj pilgrims are in a fix to proceed to the holy city of Makkah due to non-availability of flights from Peshawar.

About 1,000 Haj pilgrims, who gathered outside the Afghan consulate here on Wednesday, complained that their government had to make arrangements to proceed to Saudi Arabia for Haj.

Quoting an unnamed official of the consulate, an Afghan refugee told Dawn that the authorities in Kabul were negotiating with different Middle East-based airlines to transport about 2,000 male and female refugee pilgrims from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia.

Officials said that the Afghan government had planned to send about 1,260 refugees from Peshawar and Islamabad and 800 from other parts of the country to the holy city.

"We have been visiting the consulate for the last one week, but the officials have failed so far to give any positive response", said an Afghan elder, belonging to Wardak province. He said that each refugee had deposited $1,860 for travelling and boarding charges in Saudi Arabia.