Riyadh, April 21 (H.S.): In a horrific road accident in Saudi Arabia, five Pakistani Umrah pilgrims, including three women, lost their lives and several others were injured. They were traveling by bus from Al-Badr to Medina when the accident occurred due to a collision between the bus and a trailer.
According to a Reports, the deceased included three women and two elderly men. Rescue officials confirmed that the injured included women, children, and the elderly. They were immediately taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. The deceased women were from villages near Bahawalnagar, specifically 228/9-R and 201 Murad, while the men were residents of 39/3-R and Dahranwala.
Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq expressed deep sorrow over the accident and prayed for the peace of the departed souls and the speedy recovery of the injured. He also instructed the Pakistani embassy in Saudi Arabia to provide full assistance to the victims’ families and support for the injured.
According to Sources, due to the mismanagement of private tour operators in Pakistan, approximately 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims were unable to go on the Hajj pilgrimage this year. As a result of this crisis, 36 billion Pakistani rupees collected from the pilgrims are also trapped in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government has reportedly refused to return the money and instead offered to adjust it for next year’s pilgrimage.
It has been reported that delays in approving Pakistan’s Hajj policy for 2025 prevented private operators from submitting applications on time. Although the funds had been transferred to Saudi Arabia, preparations remained incomplete due to insufficient time and failure to coordinate arrangements timely with Saudi officials.
Sources indicated that a lack of quick communication and coordination with the Saudi government complicated the issues further. Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs reported that some private companies had obtained court orders, halting the allocation of the private Hajj quota. As a result, only 23,620 pilgrims will be able to perform Hajj 2025 under the private plan this year, which is significantly lower than the 90,000 Pakistanis who annually undertake the pilgrimage through private operators.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
