SMS service launched to prevent private Hajj fraud

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has launched a short message service (SMS) 8331 to help save private Hajj pilgrims from fictitious Hajj Group Organising companies’ (HGOs) fraud.

According to official sources, an intending pilgrim, desiring to perform the sacred religious pilgrimage privately through HGOs should send the first four digits of that particular HGO's enrolment number from their mobile phone to 8331 to check authenticity.

The intending pilgrim would promptly receive a reply, containing details about the enrolment status of that HGO, name of its chief executive, its allotted quota and address.

The quota status of any HGO should be confirmed from ministry’s relevant department by contacting phone no 051-9216980; 051-9205696; 042 111 725 425;111 Pak Hajj; www.hajjinfo.org.

The ministry would not responsible for any fraud with the intending pilgrim, who inked an agreement with any HGO or travel agent without checking the enrolment status and allotted Hajj quota of his relevant HGO.

The intending pilgrims should ink their Hajj pilgrim agreement with only approved HGO/ tour operators after confirming its Hajj quota status.

The ministry has made mandatory for all HGOs to deposit five per cent of their each private Hajj package to ministry as a performance guarantee.