PM, MBS involvement only solution to Hajj quota issue, say officials

• Officials brief NA, Senate standing committees on Hajj quota issue.
• Private Hajj operators to be unable to secure complete refund.
• Advance payments sent to Riyadh via DG Hajj to be reimbursed.
  

ISLAMABAD: Officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Director General (DG) of Hajj have said that the issue concerning the fate of the remaining 67,000 applicants can only be solved at the level of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS), The News reported on Thursday.

The development came during the officials' separate briefings to the National Assembly and the Senate Standing Committees on Religious Affairs amid dwindling hopes of thousands of Pakistani Hajj applicants regarding performing the pilgrimage this year.

Adding to the applicants' woes, the officials revealed that private Hajj operators — who had collected advance payments from pilgrims and forwarded them to Saudi Arabia — would not be able to secure a full refund of the un-utilised amount.

Federal Secretary for Religious Affairs Dr Ataur Rehman has said that advance payments sent to the Saudi government through the DG Hajj would be refunded. However, he could not confirm the status of funds transferred privately or through informal channels (Hundi) for booking accommodations and transport.

DG Hajj Abdul Wahab Soomro, who joined the National Assembly standing committee meeting online from Saudi Arabia, clarified that payments sent to the Saudi government’s account would be refunded after a 15% deduction, contingent upon a formal request from the Pakistani government.

However, he distanced the government from any responsibility for advance payments sent outside official channels for private bookings.

"The amount received in the digital wallet will be refunded, but we cannot account for funds sent privately or through unofficial means," he said.

Soomro confirmed that payments still held in the Pakistani government's account would be refunded in full, disclosing that SAR1.1 billion had been collected from Hajj operators so far.

During the meeting, private tour operators accused the DG Hajj of initially transferring SAR50 million to the wrong Saudi account, causing a 28-day delay in redirecting the funds. They also blamed the Religious Affairs Ministry's Hajj wing for creating hurdles that prevented them from meeting deadlines.

Muhammad Bilal, a representative of the Hajj Organisers Association of Pakistan (HOAP), claimed that while operators had processed payments for 77,000 pilgrims by February 14, the ministry prioritised the government Hajj scheme first.

He insisted that Pakistan could still secure the remaining quota if serious efforts were made.

Federal Secretary Dr Ataur Rehman requested that any inquiry into the lapse of 67,000 quota be postponed until after the Hajj operation concludes.

"As secretary, I assure accountability, but officials are currently overwhelmed with Hajj operations," he said. He also disclosed that Saudi authorities had conveyed there was no additional quota for the 67,000 Pakistani applicants, advising, "It's better we stop discussing more quotas."

Dr Rehman attributed part of the failure to banking restrictions, noting that private operators couldn't meet the deadline due to a $300,000 cap on one-time transfers, resulting in only 13,260 applicants being processed before the Saudi portal closed. He also criticised operators for continuing to collect payments despite the expired deadline.

Malik Amir Dogar, chairman of the National Assembly’s standing committee, called the lapse "the biggest scandal in Pakistan's Hajj history" and demanded accountability. The committee formed a subcommittee to meet the prime minister and urge his intervention.

Dogar held both ministry officials and private operators responsible, a sentiment echoed by committee member Shagufta Jumani, who singled out the secretary, joint secretary, and DG Hajj for the failure.

Ejazul Haq, another MNA, stressed the need for PM-level engagement with Saudi Arabia but predicted private operators would recover little of their advance payments.

Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf expressed regret over the lapsed quota but noted Saudi Arabia had not yet issued a "final refusal". He pinned hopes on a PM-constituted inquiry committee's findings and highlighted that Pakistan’s Hajj quota, based on population, should exceed 210,000 — not the current 179,610.

Later, in the Senate committee meeting, Dr Rehman confirmed the "chapter is closed" for accommodating more pilgrims this year. Applicants would instead be offered Hajj in 2025 at the same cost.

Senator Ataur Rehman attributed the crisis to "internal discord" while officials revealed the 10,000 additional quota post-February 12 had been allocated to Bangladesh and India.

Senator Aon Abbas questioned why the ministry failed to stop private operators from sending millions of riyals between February and April despite no available quota. The Senate standing committee also formed a subcommittee to investigate and fix responsibility.