One thing I noticed and observed during my recent trip to Haram Sharif is that many Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan were present there. You can clearly see two classes among them; one class is those who look miserable from their clothes, their lifestyle and appearance and it is clear that they are suffering from financial hardship.

These people are sitting outside the restaurants or standing in the streets for someone to come and provide them with food, as usually, people feed the people who come for Umrah, so they are also waiting for someone to do so.

Seeing such people makes one feel so sad and ashamed too, especially observing a large number of Pakistanis among them. A few years ago, the same was the case with our brother Islamic country, Turkey, where those people suffered from challenging conditions. However, now you see how rapidly Turkey has developed and now Turkish people are seen in every good hotel.

When a state is strong and corruption is stopped, its effects are also visible to the people living there.

However, I also spoke to some of these troubled people there. Some of them have sold their buffaloes, and some have come from some distant village after selling their jewels, only for the love of Bait Ullah Sharif or the love of the Prophet (S.A.W.W) brought them here.

These people live in harsh conditions, with no proper arrangement for housing, and they depend on others for food, but they come here because of the love of Haramain Sharifain in their hearts.

On the other hand, there are a large number of Pakistanis who stay in five-star hotels and enjoy a variety of cuisines.

It is clear how deep and clear the class division is in Pakistan.

Another thing that was felt very strongly is that majority of people come without Umrah training. There is no correct information about Tawaf and Sa’ee and no other basic knowledge as they come here without any training.

Apart from this, I noticed that many people from Pakistan are elderly and come here at an age when they can’t do anything themselves. Ageing is a disease in itself. During Umrah, one has to walk a lot, but due to old age, these people cannot perform all of Umrah’s functions.

Along with the people, the state should look at how to manage all these things and raise the standard of living of its people. Also, when people go for Umrah and Hajj, send them here with proper training. Isn’t it the job of Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Ministry of Hajj to provide essential guidance to people and allow them to come to Haram Sharif only after training them?