A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs was held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman, where Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Dr. Zulfiqar Haider, briefed members on Hajj arrangements.
Dr. Haider stated that the ministry plans to step back from direct government involvement in Hajj management. He mentioned that in the future, private operators might take over Hajj arrangements.
The Secretary urged private Hajj operators to withdraw their cases from the courts, warning that failure to do so would result in the revocation of their quotas. He added that Hajj management could be handed over to private operators next year if they comply with legal requirements.
The meeting also addressed issues concerning private Hajj operators’ advance payments to Saudi Arabia and their lack of formal agreements with the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
The committee warned that advance payments sent to Saudi Arabia without agreements could be lost, which is illegal. If this continues, operators’ quotas will be revoked.
Chairman Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman expressed concerns about the reputational damage the country could face if quotas are retracted and directed the operators to resolve the issue promptly. He warned that unresolved issues could lead to quotas being redirected to countries like India or Afghanistan.
The Secretary emphasized that Saudi policies cannot be challenged due to binding agreements. He advised operators to work with the ministry to resolve issues regarding the reduction in the number of companies.
Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah cautioned that if agreements are not finalized soon, the Hajj quota may be revoked, causing significant embarrassment for the country. The committee gave private Hajj operators four days to finalize their agreements.
The federal cabinet has approved reducing the number of Hajj companies, and due to agreements with Saudi Arabia, the cabinet cannot revise the Hajj policy.
