SMS service launched to prevent private Hajj fraud

SMS service launched to prevent private Hajj fraud

ISLAMABAD, Apr 23 (APP):The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has launched a short message service (SMS) 8331 to help saving private Hajj pilgrims from fictitious Hajj Group Organising companies’ (HGOs) fraud.

  According to official sources, an intending pilgrim, desiring to perform the sacred religious ceremony privately through Haj Group Organiser (HGO) should send the first four digits of that particular HGO’s enrolment number from his mobile phone to 8331 to check its 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.

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

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 percent of their each private Hajj package to ministry as performance guarantee.

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