Haj flights schedule issued

PESHAWAR The NWFP and Fata chapter of the Pakistan Haj Organisers Association (PHOA) has asked the government to issue schedule of flights for pilgrims intending to perform Haj through private tour operators.More than 80,000 pilgrims from Pakistan will perform Haj flights through private tour operators this year. The flights for the departure are to start after two days but the schedule has not been issued yet, said Muhammad Kamran Zeb, the chairman of Haj Tour Operators, at a news conference here Monday.

Kamran said the Saudi Airlines (SA) had refused to airlift pilgrims from Peshawar Airport owing to the poor law and order. He said the private Haj tour operators, who wanted to send their groups of pilgrims in early flights, had got visas of their groups from Saudi Embassy in time, but they could not offer positive response to their clients because of delay in issuance of flights schedule.

All group operators have been waiting for flights schedule. Unless and until the government issues the schedule, the other arrangements in Saudi Arabia for them cannot be finalised,he said. Senior Vice President Sanaullah and other members of the PHOA were also present.