LAHORE: The Lahore High Court directed the ministry of religious affairs on Wednesday to submit a complete record of casualties suffered by Pakistani pilgrims in the Mina stampede.

The court also sought a report about the performance of the Director General of Haj by the next hearing on Oct 6.

The court was hearing a petition filed by a citizen, Arif Idrees, who accused the government of hiding facts about the incident.

The petitioner stated the international media had reported that 286 pilgrims from Pakistan had died in the incident but officials of the ministry gave misleading figures about the actual death toll.

He accused the Director General of Haj Pakistan Abu Akaf of hiding facts. He requested the court to direct the ministry to provide correct information about the casualties. He also said the court should ensure that action was taken against those responsible for hiding the information.

Published in Dawn October 1st, 2015

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