The Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Dr. Zulfiqar Haider, has revealed that the government plans to withdraw from handling Hajj arrangements, with a proposal to hand over the entire program to private operators by 2026. This announcement was made during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs, chaired by Senator Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman.
Dr. Haider explained that, under directives from Saudi Arabia, the number of companies involved in Hajj operations had been significantly reduced from 500 to 162 last year. He further stated that the Ministry intends to step back from managing Hajj operations entirely in the future. However, he warned that private operators must withdraw their ongoing court cases, or they risk losing their quotas.
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The Secretary also noted that Saudi Arabia had expressed concerns about the large number of companies involved in the Hajj program, leading to a further reduction to 46 companies, each receiving a quota of 2,000 pilgrims. Private Hajj operators have raised 80 complaints about private services, compared to 18,000 complaints regarding the government-run scheme. However, the reduction in the number of operators has caused friction, with some private operators taking legal action, including approaching the Sindh High Court. If these issues are not resolved, Saudi Arabia may cancel Pakistan’s private Hajj quotas altogether.
The committee discussed potential solutions, with Minority member Dr. Dinesh Kumar suggesting ways to resolve the disputes. Maulana Ataur Rahman, the committee’s Chairman, added some humor to the proceedings, joking that Dr. Kumar must have completed four Hajj pilgrimages based on his in-depth knowledge of the subject. Despite the lighter moments, the committee urged both the Ministry and private Hajj operators to work together to address the issues. Dr. Haider made it clear that any disagreements with Saudi Arabia’s policies could not be overridden, as they were part of a formal agreement approved by the Federal Cabinet.
