For this year's Haj, the Ministry of Haj has assigned 16 Tawafa establishments to take exclusive care of 80,000 Pakistani pilgrims. As such, each establishment will provide accommodation and transport facilities to 5,000 pilgrims, Rao Shakil Ahmad, Director General Haj at the Pakistani Consulate here told Saudi Gazette. The ministry's decision, the official said, came after the issue of allotting 2,500 Pakistani pilgrims to Tawafa establishments, along with a similar number of pilgrims of other nationalities, was taken up by Hamid Saeed Kazmi, Pakistani Minister of Religious Affairs, during his recent visit to the Kingdom. There were reports that Tawafa establishments tended to ignore the Pakistani pilgrims and provided better facilities to the pilgrims from other countries because they paid more. Several pilgrims from Pakistan also complained that 25 people were housed in accommodation meant for 16. Ahmad said the Saudi Ministry of Haj agreed to the Pakistani minister's proposal and directed Adnan Katib, chairman of South East Asia Tawafa Establishments, to allot each establishment 5,000 Pakistani pilgrims. From this year onwards, Pakistani pilgrims will be accommodated in Old Mina on two main streets and all the 16 establishments will be on these streets not far from the Jamarat Bridge, Ahmad said. The official said 118 buildings have been leased for 40,000 Pakistani pilgrims by the Directorate General Haj of the Pakistan Consulate. As a matter of policy, this year the directorate has eliminated middle men in the renting of buildings for pilgrims. From now on, he said, the directorate will deal directly with the owners of buildings in Makkah and Madina. Similarly, all Pakistani pilgrims will be accommodated at one place in Arafat. An agreement has been reached with the Saudi Transport Syndicate to arrange for the use of buses during the Haj as well as for transport to Madina and back to Jeddah airport. Local people from Makkah will be engaged to help and guide the pilgrims, Ahmad said. Pilgrims staying two kilometers away from the Grand Mosque will be provided a shuttle service for their five daily prayers, he said.
