Islamabad, May 17 (ANI): Pakistan's mission in Jeddah had to pay 19,500 riyals (Rs 472,660) as a religious fine to Saudi Arabian authorities in 2007 because the then-prime minister Shaukat Aziz and his entourage had violated a basic law during a pilgrimage.
According to Islamic law, it is mandatory for every male pilgrim to wear Ahram, a traditional white, unstitched robe consisting of two sheets, before entering the geographical limits of Meeqat, Kaabah, while performing Umrah, reports The Express Tribune.
However, if a pilgrim circumambulates the Kaabah without wearing Ahram after crossing into the Meeqat, he is liable to slaughter a goat or pay its price to the poor as fine.
Official documents reveal that former PM Shaukat Aziz and his entire 50-member delegation violated this law while circumambulating the Kaabah in 2007, and were hence fined for violating the law.
The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP), in his report for 2008-09, raised objection to the payment of 19,500 riyals from the public exchequer for the religious mistake of PM Aziz and his delegation.
The report says that Pakistan's Consulate General in Jeddah, in violation of rules, also spent around 34,354 riyals on the purchase of Ahrams, costly dates and holy water of Mecca for the premier and his delegation as a gift.
The AGP recommended to the ministry of foreign affairs to recover the amount from those officials who spent the public money without any authorisation.
Sources, however, say that the foreign ministry is still squabbling over the mode of recovering the money from the officials. Some officials believe that the amount should be recovered from Aziz and his delegation members. (ANI)
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