A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs was held Tuesday under the chairmanship of Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman. Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Dr. Zulfiqar Haider, briefed the committee members on the ongoing Hajj arrangements.
He stated that the ministry intends to step back from the government's direct involvement in Hajj management. Dr. Haider mentioned that, in the future, private operators could take over Hajj arrangements.
The Secretary also urged private Hajj operators to withdraw their cases from the courts, warning that if they fail to do so, their quotas would be revoked.
He emphasized the government's intention to shift Hajj arrangements to private operators next year, provided they comply with the legal requirements.
In a meeting chaired by Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman, the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs discussed the ongoing issues regarding private Hajj operators and their advance payments to Saudi Arabia.
Private Hajj operators informed the committee that they had already sent advance payments for Hajj arrangements to Saudi Arabia, but without a formal agreement with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, they may not receive their Hajj quotas. The committee warned that without official agreements, the advance payments sent to Saudi Arabia could be lost.
The committee has directed private operators to finalize their agreements with the Ministry of Religious Affairs as soon as possible. The committee also emphasized that sending money to Saudi Arabia without a contract is illegal, and if this continues, the operators' quotas will be revoked.
Chairman Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman expressed concerns about the reputational damage the country could face if quotas are taken back. He further warned that if the operators do not resolve the issue, their quotas could be redirected to countries like India or Afghanistan.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs also stressed that they cannot challenge the Saudi Arabian policies, as they are bound by a formal agreement. He urged private operators to work with the ministry to resolve the issue regarding the reduction in the number of companies.
Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah added that if the agreements are not finalized soon, the Hajj quota may be revoked, leading to significant embarrassment for the country. The committee has given private Hajj operators four days to resolve the issue.
The federal cabinet has approved reducing the number of Hajj companies, and due to agreements with Saudi Arabia, the cabinet is not in a position to revise the Hajj policy.
