LAHORE: More than 100 Umrah pilgrims, including women and children, were offloaded from their flight at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport for not possessing polio, meningitis and COVID-19 vaccination certificates.
The flight was about to take off when airline authorities removed the passengers, triggering protests at the airport.
According to media reports, the affected pilgrims protested against the airline, accusing it of mishandling the situation.
“We were offloaded and told to buy new tickets. We saved money with great difficulty to perform Umrah, yet we are the ones being punished for the airline and travel agent’s mistake,” they lamented.
Saudi Arabia’s new visa policy affects 14 countries including Pakistan
The passengers called it an injustice, saying the airline and travel agents should have informed them beforehand about the required vaccination certificates.
The Kingdom has made meningitis and polio vaccinations mandatory for Umrah pilgrims coming from Pakistan.
Adding to the challenges, obtaining a polio vaccination certificate is a lengthy process. While oral polio vaccine (OPV) drops are available at any health facility, only District Health Officers (DHOs) are authorized to update vaccination records in the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) system.
This limitation has led to significant delays, as DHOs struggle to process the overwhelming number of certification requests.