Government Hajj scheme likely to be abolished from 2026.
Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs, Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman, presided over a meeting on Tuesday.
Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Dr. Zulfiqar Haider, informed the committee members on the current Hajj arrangements.
He stated that the ministry is interested in stepping 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 cancelled.
He highlighted the government’s plans 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 ordered private operators to finalise their agreements with the Ministry of Religious Affairs as soon as possible.
The committee also emphasised 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 raised 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 maintained that it is impossible to ignore the Saudi Arabian policies, as the country is bound by a formal agreement.
He requested private operators to cooperate with the ministry to sort out the issue regarding the reduction in the number of companies.
Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah added that if the agreements are not finalised soon, the Hajj quota may be revoked, leading to major setbacks 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.
