Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on Saturday sought impartial and credible enquiry into two tragedies in Saudi Arabia resulting into death of more than a thousand Haj pilgrims.
Sayeed was speaking on an obituary reference in J&K Assembly that began its Autumn Session amid tight security here. law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Basharat Bukhari sought inclusion of victims of twin tragedies in Saudi Arabia after Speaker Kavinder Gupta introduced an obituary reference in the House to pay homage to former President APJ Abdul Kalam and several political leaders of Jammu & Kashmir who passed away since the conclusion of Budget Session of the legislature in April last.
Sayeed said that in the backdrop of the magnitude of death toll in Mina stampede and crane crash incident, a credible and transparent inquiry was required to be held to put all blame games and speculations at rest. “Despite state-of-the-art and modern facilities available in Saudi Arabia, it is unfathomable that such lapses could have occurred. It has become necessary to take all corrective measures so that such incidents do not occur in future,” he stressed.
Placing high priority on making fool-proof arrangements to avoid such lapses in future, the Chief Minister said the anxiety persists amongst several relatives whose loved ones are still missing even after 10 days of Mina stampede. He said he too was restive as his daughter, Mehbooba Mufti, was also in Saudi Arabia as head of the Indian Goodwill delegation. “I hope in future all necessary arrangements are put in place to ensure safety and security of the Hajjis there,” he stated.