LAHORE, Feb 18: MNA Tahira Asif has accused the haj duty staff in Saudia of creating ‘immense’ problems for Pakistani hajis.

Addressing a news conference at the Lahore Press Club on Tuesday, the treasury member said that she herself and a large number of other countrymen were the victims of the mismanagement on the part of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

She said the staff did not make proper arrangements for accommodation and transportation despite charging heavily from the pilgrims.

She demanded constitution of an inquiry committee to thoroughly probe the wrongdoings committed by the haj staff.

According to her, the ordeal of the pilgrims started soon after their flight landed at the Jeddah airport as they had to wait for their transport from 12midnight to 6:15am.

After reaching the Pakistan House, they found that sweeper Bilal was in charge of the Pakistan House and its affairs at that time. She said that Bilal misbehaved with pilgrims and extorted money from them by misplacing their luggage.

Ms Tahira said Haj Deputy Director Asim Majeed rented poorly-maintained accommodation outside the city between Riyals 600 to 1,000 but charged Riyals 2,150 from each pilgrim. She said the haj duty staff also ‘misplaced’ drafts of some pilgrims to extort money from them. She said that a large number of pilgrims who were denied accommodation were seen crying in the Haj office.

She said the haj duty staff also charged Riyals 150 per head for food in Maidan-i-Arafat and transport for Mina but the pilgrims were provided no facilities. She said the Mina medical camp had no medicines and the Pakistani pilgrims had to get relief from the Indian camp.

She alleged that the haj duty staff had placed the hired vehicles at the disposal of their families and relatives and left a number of pilgrims in Mina who could not reach Maidan-i-Arafat and Muzd-alfa. She said that some pilgrims had to engage private transport.

Ms Tahira who had already sent a letter to the prime minister would raise the issue in the National Assembly.

She said a provincial minister from Sindh would also speak on the hajis’ ordeal.