RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has refused the traditional Egyptian (now U.A.R.) offering of the velvet drapery for the Kaaba and the Black Stone at Mecca, officials stated here yesterday. They said that the Saudi government had decided not to accept the Kissoua, or the drapery, sent by Egypt because the gift by the United Arab Republic in recent years had been of poor quality, quickly losing strength and colour.

The Kissoua is manufactured by a special department of the U.A.R. Ministry of Religious Affairs and exposed in one of Cairo’s mosques before being sent ceremoniously to Mecca.

According to a Cairo report, the last group of U.A.R. pilgrims has refused to land at Jeddah because of the refusal of the Saudi authorities to allow the U.A.R. official mission to transport the Kissoua to Mecca.

The pilgrims, numbering 1,100, were aboard the U.A.R. ship ‘Mecca’ which arrived yesterday at Jeddah with the official mission responsible for handing over the traditional drapery for the Kaaba. The Saudi authorities told the captain of the ship that they had formal instructions from their government to prevent the Kissoua from being landed, and to use force if necessary. —Agencies

Ban on unregulated political activities

RAWALPINDI: President Ayub Khan yesterday promulgated an Ordinance prohibiting the unregulated activity of political organisations throughout the country. It is called the Prohibition of Unregulated Activity Ordinance, 1962, and comes into force with immediate effect. The purpose of the Ordinance is to ensure that unregulated organisations do not come into being for political purposes until the National Assembly has had time to determine the whole question.— Agencies