Thursday, October 19, 2017

Islamabad - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz senior leader Raja Zafar ul Haq on Tuesday asked the Ministry of Religious Affairs to refrain from criticizing the Saudi government for poor hajj arrangements for Pakistani pilgrims.

During a Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs meeting, Haq, who is also the Leader of the House in Senate, said that during recent hajj season, the Ministry of Religious Affairs held the Saudi government responsible for the problems Pakistani pilgrims faced in the Kingdom while the Saudi government blamed Pakistani authorities.

He said that the ministry showed irresponsibility by criticizing the Saudi government, while the Saudis also reciprocated in the same tone, which resulted in a bad taste.

“It could have been avoided, despite all challenges the relations must be kept normal, putting blame on any government may affect relations of the two countries”, he said adding that a few countries were friends of Pakistan and they should not be made unhappy.

Haq feared that due to the ministry’s statements Pakistani pilgrimages could face consequences in the future.

His statement was part of the ongoing campaign to win back the heart of the oil-rich Saudi monarch- which is furious over raising some genuine complaints from the Pakistani side.

The Saudi authorities became angry when a large number of Pakistanis, who performed hajj this year, complained about poor hajj arrangements this year.

They pointed out that due to the unavailability of transport and tents at Mina, they had to walk for up to 25 kilometres, slept on footpaths and eta nothing.

In a knee-jerk reaction- to cool down the resentment, the Ministry of Religious Affairs passed the buck on the Saudi government.

Ministry of Religious Affairs spokesperson Imran Siddiqui reportedly told the media that from Mina onwards, it was the responsibility of the Saudi government to provide food, accommodation, and transport to the pilgrims. Moreover, the Religious Affairs Ministry wrote a letter to the Saudi government complaining to the Saudi authorities for ‘their substandard facilities’.

The federal government later claimed that Saudi Arabia had apologized over ‘their mismanagement’ at Mina and assured that the next year, all-out efforts will be made to provide best possible facilities to pilgrims from Pakistan.

According to sources, the Saudi government showed serious displeasure over the whole episode and the government had to go out of the way to make the Kingdon happy.

Some non-state players hired to diffuse the tension conveniently declared all critics as ‘enemy of Islam’.

“What the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of King Salman, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, deserves praise and appreciation to provide service for the pilgrims. The elements that seek to politicize the hajj are considered enemies of the Islamic nation, they try to manipulate the holy land”, said Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, Chairman of Council of Pakistani Scholars and the Accord of Pakistani Mosques.

The statement of Ashrafi - who lost his basic membership of Ulema Council this year - was carried on Saudi media-house- Alarabiya English’s website on August 27, 2017.

The oil-rich monarch was the biggest labour market for Pakistani workforce up till last year.

Source: http://nation.com.pk/national/18-Oct-2017/ministry-asked-to-refrain-from-assailing-saudi-govt