Saudi Arabia: Two haj pilgrims from Telangana sent back from Jeddah
In an unfortunate turn of events, two Haj pilgrims who departed through the Telangana Haj Committee were denied entry by Saudi authorities at Jeddah airport. Mohammad Abdul Qadir and his wife Farida Begum, residents of Mahbubnagar district, arrived in Jeddah via a special Vistara Airlines flight to perform Haj under the supervision of the Haj Committee.
However, upon arrival, immigration officials at Jeddah airport discovered that Farida Begum’s passport had been blacklisted. Consequently, her husband Mohammad Abdul Qadir, who was accompanying her with a single cover number, was also barred from entry. In accordance with the instructions from the Saudi authorities, Vistara Airlines arranged for their return on a flight to Mumbai, from where they will proceed back to Hyderabad. The airline has duly notified the Telangana Haj Committee regarding this incident.
It has come to light that Farida Begum had previously worked in Saudi Arabia but was repatriated to India due to an incident during her stay, leading to her passport being blacklisted. The Saudi immigration authorities, upon discovering the blacklisted passport, refused entry to both individuals. After extensive consultations, Vistara Airlines facilitated their return by boarding them on a Mumbai-bound flight available at the airport.
The couple is expected to arrive in Hyderabad today via Mumbai. The Telangana Haj Committee has initiated contact with the Indian Haj Mission and the consulate in Jeddah to obtain further details regarding the incident. This marks the first instance where pilgrims from Telangana have encountered such a situation during the departure phase, as they were denied entry by Saudi authorities.
The Telangana Haj Committee is actively working to address the matter and provide necessary support to the affected pilgrims.
Meanwhile, the Telangana Haj Committee has successfully dispatched a total of 19 convoys, consisting of 2850 pilgrims, who have safely reached their destination in Makkah for their sacred Haj journey.
