Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman headed a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs on Tuesday. Dr. Zulfiqar Haider, the secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, gave the committee members an update on the current Hajj plans. “The ministry plans to distance itself from the government’s direct involvement in Hajj management,” he said. According to Dr. Haider, Hajj arrangements may eventually be handled by commercial companies.
The Secretary warned private Hajj operators that their quotas would be cancelled if they did not drop their complaints from the courts. He highlighted if private operators meet the legal conditions, the government plans to turn over Hajj arrangements to them the following year.
Read more: Pakistan Launches Pak Hajj App to Assist Pilgrims.
Ongoing Concerns
The Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs held a meeting headed by Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman to review ongoing difficulties concerning private Hajj operators. Without a formal agreement with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, private Hajj operators may not obtain their Hajj quotas, despite submitting advance payments to Saudi Arabia for Hajj arrangements.
Private operators have been instructed by the committee to complete their contracts with the Ministry of Religious Affairs as quickly as feasible. Additionally, the committee stressed that it is unlawful to send funds to Saudi Arabia without a contract. If this practice persists, the operators’ quotas will be revoked. Chairman Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman expressed concern about the country’s reputational damage if quotas are removed. Additionally, he issued a warning that the operators’ quotas might be transferred to nations like Afghanistan or India if they fail to address the problem.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs further emphasised that because they are legally obligated by Saudi Arabian policies, they cannot contest them. He called on private business owners to collaborate with the ministry to find a solution to the problem of fewer businesses.
Senator Dr Afnan Ullah went on to say that the government would be greatly embarrassed if the agreements were not completed quickly. Private Hajj operators have been given four days by the committee to address the issue. The federal cabinet has approved reducing the number of Hajj companies. Due to agreements with Saudi Arabia, the cabinet is not in a position to revise the Hajj policy.
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