MADINA: Following rumors that led to Jeddah post offices making half a million riyals in telegram operations in two days in May, counterparts in Madina have profited similarly as hundreds of Pakistanis queued up in response to rumors of monetary grants Thursday. According to Al-Watan Arabic daily, the rumor, the source of which is being investigated by the police, concerns “unlimited” monetary grants of a minimum of SR5,000 being offered to persons of Pakistani nationality who send their personal details to a designated address. Priority is given, if the rumor is to be believed, to persons who contact the address by telegram, costing SR50 a time. Al-Watan said that a “black market” had subsequently sprung up in pre-prepared telegrams in both Urdu and Arabic. Police at Bilal Market in Madina Thursday saw hundreds of Pakistanis form queues outside the post office, a scene repeated at other post offices across the city, and an official said that investigators were seeking to establish the source of the rumor. When rumors appeared on May 3 in Jeddah concerning financial compensation for victims for flood damage, the Emir's Office for the governorate of Makkah issued a denial. Samir Nahhas, Director General of the Saudi Post office, said at the time that 17,000 telegram requests were made by non-Saudis. “The rumor led to returns of over half a million riyals in two days,” he said.
