The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday directed the federal government to provide the exact number and available records of the Pakistani pilgrims who died in the stampede in Mina, outside the holy city of Mecca on September 24.
The court had taken up a petition filed by a citizen Arif Idrees through Azhar Siddique advocate. The petitioner said that the authorities at Religious Affairs Ministry are misleading public on the death toll and whereabouts of the missing pilgrims. The petitioner requested the court to take action against director general Hajj for ‘concealing facts’ about the death of Pakistani pilgrims in the incident. He said that the facts of the tragedy were being concealed to cover corruption and that the appointment of DG Hajj had been “politically motivated”.
Justice Ayesha A. Malik of LHC directed authorities to provide correct information regarding pilgrims who died or went missing in the incident. The court also summoned a performance report of DG Hajj and the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
The hearing was subsequently adjourned till October 8.
