New law to tackle Hajj, Umrah fraudsters underway – Minister
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The
Ministry of Religious Affairs in Pakistan said it will soon introduce a
parliamentary bill aimed at regulating Hajj and Umrah services and paving the
way for legal action against tour operators defrauding pilgrims.
Speaking
at a ceremony to distribute awards among tour operators on Saturday, Minister
for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousaf said that ‘Hajj and Umrah Services
Management Bill-2017’ would soon be tabled in the National Assembly for
approval.
He
said the bill was formulated after a huge number of complaints were filed
against fraudulent tour operators. “The ministry has prepared the bill to take
action against defaulters,” he said.
Yousuf
said his ministry and tour operators needed to work together to improve
pilgrimage services, ensuring the comfort of intending pilgrims. He also said
that under the new Hajj policy, pilgrims would not have to wait for longer
periods for customs clearance.
The
minister claimed that the ministry was working to get an Umrah ban lifted on
Pakistanis below the age of 40.
The
Saudi government had imposed the ban in the wake of complaints that more than
100,000 Pakistanis had overstayed in Saudi Arabia after performing Umrah.
About the ‘Hajj and Umrah Services Management Bill-2017’,
an official told The
Express Tribune that
it was with the law division for vetting. Once okayed, it would be moved in the
National Assembly for approval, he added.
“Nearly 400,000 to 500,000 Pakistanis perform
Umrah every year and most of them suffer immense difficulties at the hands of
tour operators,” he said.
He
said the tourism ministry used to look after Umrah services earlier, but after
the devolution of powers under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, it became a
provincial subject.
“We
believe Umrah is a religious obligation and should not be attached or linked
with the ministry of tourism,” he said.
The Express Tribune
New law to tackle Hajj, Umrah fraudsters underway – Minister
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