KARACHI, Jan 1: Flaws in the record of Haj pilgrims' information, kept by the ministry of religious affairs, and delay in updating the incoming information have put the pilgrims' travel to the holy places in trouble.
The pilgrims have complained that their grievances were not being heard at the camp office of the Ministry of Haj in Karachi. The officials here have asked all the intending Hajis, facing any problem in getting their documents processed, to approach the ministry in Islamabad.
The officials' advice, however, has aggravated the situation as the pilgrims could not travel to Islamabad to get their record rectified. One of the intending Hajis, Muhammad Umar Bhatti, pointed out that his form had been placed under a 'suspended case' due to some error in the number of his computerized NIC. After getting it corrected, the record showed that his wife had got a refund, though such a refund had never been made.
Mr Umar said that he and his wife Nuzhat Umar had applied for the upcoming Haj. The cases were placed under the head of 'suspended cases'. He received the information through the Haj ministry's website on Oct 28.
He got a letter the next day from the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) verifying that the CNICs of both the applicants were genuine. However, there was a typographical error in the record of the ministry of religious affairs. Mr Umar faxed a letter along with Nadra's verification letter to the ministry and also sent a duplicate through a courier service.
On December 19, he came to know that he was declared qualified to proceed to the holy places for Haj. However, the number of his CNIC remained incorrect as shown in the ministry's record.
He was further shocked to receive the wrong information that the money deposited on behalf of his wife, who had also been declared successful, had been refunded. Mr Umar referred to the Habib Bank, Kharadar Branch, which issued a letter, dated Dec 20, 2003, informing the deputy director of the ministry that no refund had been made to the applicant.
The bank's letter and relevant documents were faxed to the ministry and also sent through a courier service. The following day, the objection pertaining to the refund was removed but Nuzhat Umar's application was withheld and the words displayed on the records were: 'Application No. 171136 - Nadra ID-card to be verified'.
The objection was highlighted despite the fact that the CNIC was never in question in the past and despite submission of the Nadra's verification letter with the ministry.
Mr Umar maintained that it was incomprehensible that the matter of CNIC verification was raised while all the relevant documents, duly verified, had already been submitted.