JEDDAH/LAHORE (Agencies) – The Saudi government has frozen the bank account of Pakistani Haj Mission after it failed to implement an earlier warning.
According to sources, the Saudi officials had warned the Haj Mission and the PakistanÂ’s Consulate on 1st of Muharram that a bank account in Jeddah had 50 million Riyals, under the head of disbursement to the companies providing facilities to Pakistani pilgrims, which should be withdrawn till Muharram 30; otherwise they would freeze the account.
Sources further said the Pakistani Consulate and Haj Mission did not take the warning seriously because of ongoing investigation into the Haj corruption while the Saudi side took the delay in withdrawal of money as disinterest on part of the Pakistani authorities The Haj Mission was to disburse more than 40 million Riyals to 210 companies. The affected parties have decided to move the Supreme Court against non-disbursement of the payments.
Meanwhile, the Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) Monday sealed three foreign currency accounts of former federal minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi in Multan. The accounts are suspected to be holding money that was embezzled in the Haj corruption scam.
Talking to a private TV channel, Kazmi said his account was opened even before he became a minister and the FIA had not contacted him on the issue. He said the account did not contain millions or billions of rupees. “If the FIA wants to investigate let them to do so,” he remarked.
The former minister said he would make important disclosures at a press conference to be held today (Tuesday).
Earlier, he had denied the presence of any account. The FIA forensic experts in collaboration with the State Bank of Pakistan investigated into the matter and have frozen them.
It is pertinent to note that Kazmi was sacked for his alleged involvement in Haj corruption worth Rs1 billion. The FIA is probing the matter after the Supreme Court took notice of the matter. Last week, the Supreme Court rejected the FIAÂ’s report into the irregularities in Haj arrangements, saying it was not transparent and that the influential people were involved in the scandal.
According to the report, which gave a clearance chit to Kazmi, there was no evidence that Rao Shakil and Ahmad Faiz transferred any amount in the Muslim Commercial Bank and Faisal Bank accounts of Kazmi, adding that at the moment, the probe was being conducted into the present amount in the account.

JEDDAH/LAHORE (Agencies) – The Saudi government has frozen the bank account of Pakistani Haj Mission after it failed to implement an earlier warning.
According to sources, the Saudi officials had warned the Haj Mission and the PakistanÂ’s Consulate on 1st of Muharram that a bank account in Jeddah had 50 million Riyals, under the head of disbursement to the companies providing facilities to Pakistani pilgrims, which should be withdrawn till Muharram 30; otherwise they would freeze the account.
Sources further said the Pakistani Consulate and Haj Mission did not take the warning seriously because of ongoing investigation into the Haj corruption while the Saudi side took the delay in withdrawal of money as disinterest on part of the Pakistani authorities The Haj Mission was to disburse more than 40 million Riyals to 210 companies. The affected parties have decided to move the Supreme Court against non-disbursement of the payments.
Meanwhile, the Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) Monday sealed three foreign currency accounts of former federal minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi in Multan. The accounts are suspected to be holding money that was embezzled in the Haj corruption scam.
Talking to a private TV channel, Kazmi said his account was opened even before he became a minister and the FIA had not contacted him on the issue. He said the account did not contain millions or billions of rupees. “If the FIA wants to investigate let them to do so,” he remarked.
The former minister said he would make important disclosures at a press conference to be held today (Tuesday).
Earlier, he had denied the presence of any account. The FIA forensic experts in collaboration with the State Bank of Pakistan investigated into the matter and have frozen them.
It is pertinent to note that Kazmi was sacked for his alleged involvement in Haj corruption worth Rs1 billion. The FIA is probing the matter after the Supreme Court took notice of the matter. Last week, the Supreme Court rejected the FIAÂ’s report into the irregularities in Haj arrangements, saying it was not transparent and that the influential people were involved in the scandal.
According to the report, which gave a clearance chit to Kazmi, there was no evidence that Rao Shakil and Ahmad Faiz transferred any amount in the Muslim Commercial Bank and Faisal Bank accounts of Kazmi, adding that at the moment, the probe was being conducted into the present amount in the account.