Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Dr. Zulfiqar Haider, has announced plans for the government to withdraw from managing Hajj arrangements, starting from 2026. According to News, the entire Hajj program may be handed over to private operators.
Dr. Haider shared these remarks during a Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs meeting, chaired by Senator Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman.
He explained that, following Saudi Arabia’s directives, the number of Hajj-operating companies was reduced from 500 to 162 last year, with the ministry planning to step back from overseeing Hajj operations in the future.
Dr. Haider further stated that private operators would likely handle all Hajj arrangements next year. However, he cautioned that private operators must withdraw their court cases or risk losing their quotas. Initially, 904 private companies were registered for Hajj operations.
He also noted Saudi Arabia’s concern about the excessive number of companies, which led to the number being reduced to 46, each allocated a quota of 2,000 pilgrims.
Private Hajj operators reported receiving 80 complaints about their services, whereas the government-run Hajj scheme received 18,000 complaints.
Saudi authorities’ dissatisfaction with managing such a large number of companies prompted the reduction, with a warning that any delay in resolving the issue could result in the cancellation of private quotas altogether.
The Sindh High Court, currently involved in the matter, has requested meeting minutes, which could impact private operators’ quotas.
During the meeting, committee members discussed ways to address private operators’ grievances. Dr. Dinesh Kumar, a minority member, suggested solutions to bridge differences between the Ministry and the operators.
In a lighter moment, Chairman Maulana Ataur Rahman humorously remarked on Dr. Kumar’s detailed knowledge of Hajj, joking that he seemed to have performed four pilgrimages. Dr. Kumar responded by citing his understanding of Hajj and past discussions in the Senate.
Dr. Haider emphasized that private operators must resolve their legal disputes, or their quotas might be allocated to India or Afghanistan.
He reiterated that Pakistan could not oppose any decisions by Saudi Arabia, as the quota reduction was part of a formal agreement approved by the Federal Cabinet. Consequently, the government cannot revise the Hajj policy.
The committee instructed private operators to finalize agreements with the Ministry promptly, warning that sending advance payments to Saudi Arabia without formal agreements is illegal and could result in financial losses.
Dr. Haider stressed that failure to lift court orders could lead to Pakistan losing its quota, harming its reputation. The Senate committee urged both the Ministry and private operators to resolve the matter cooperatively to ensure compliance with Saudi policies and maintain Pakistan’s standing.
