This is with reference to your report on Umrah flights published in your paper on 30 March and various letters on this issue. There was a time in Pakistan when the sitting government, media and the bureaucracy would feel obliged to facilitate pilgrims going for Hajj or Umrah.
Today things have changed in Pakistan and it is kosher to rip these unfortunate pilgrims of their life long savings while political parties have chosen to sit idle or protect culprits involved in this shameful robbery.
In the Pakistan of today, moral values have changed and morality or religious sentiments are considered weaknesses of the middle classes, while the novae rich elite is totally oblivious to such feelings or sentiments and they believe that possession of wealth, irrespective of means adopted, is what matters.
How else can we explain the silence of the political parties, the sitting government and PIA executives, as the Umrah passengers are being taken on a ride and the nexus of travel agents and PIA marketing exploits them by creating an artificial shortage.
When the stakes are high, even the furore over the Hajj Scam does not seem to deter those involved. It is now up to the Supreme Court to intervene, but their hands, it seems, are already full.
RAHAT SIDDIQI
Karachi
