Pakistani pilgrims bemoan lack of facilities in Mina

MAKKAH (92 News) – Pakistani pilgrims residing in Maktab No 94 have bemoaned lack of facilities for them in Mina. The pilgrims told 92 News that they were neither provided proper accommodation nor air-conditioner facility despite paying a huge amount. “We have been left on the mercy of circumstances. There is no facility in the ‘Khaima Basti’ (tent village).” The pilgrims said that there is neither a proper place for performing ‘wazu’ (ablution) nor separate arrangements for women near Khaima Basti. “Elderly people and women are forced to perform ablution through bottles of water. Moreover, there is no arrangement for drinking water,” they informed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=12&v=fJIEGEu5yQo They said that they were provided accommodation in multi-storey buildings. “Men have been given beds, but women are forced to sleep on ground. All of us are using hand-fans to beat the heat,” they decried. On the other hand, a five-member team of the Ministry of Religious Affairs visited Maktab 94 and met the pilgrims after 92 News highlighted the matter. The Ministry of Religious Affairs spokesman claimed that the pilgrims had complained of water shortage and the issue was resolved within an hour. He said that the Hujjaj at Maktab 94 had declared the arrangements satisfactory. Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri and Adviser to Prime Minister Shahzad Arbab also visited several ‘Makaatib’ and met Hujjaj. The government had increased the Hajj expenditures by Rs200,000 as compared to the previous year. However, the administration continued to make fun of the miseries of the pilgrims despite receiving the hefty amount.