The Senate Sub-Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has directed the Ministry of Religious Affairs to ensure the complete reimbursement of over Rs 36 billion to more than 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims who were unable to perform Hajj this year due to administrative lapses and legal complications involving private Hajj operators.
The committee, chaired by Senator Aon Abbas Buppi, set a firm deadline of August 15, 2025 for the full refund and made it clear that no deductions — including for currency conversion, administrative fees, or service charges — would be tolerated.
The meeting was held at the PIPS Hall in Parliament Lodges and attended by Senators Bushra Anjum Butt and Danesh Kumar, Federal Secretary Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman, DG Hajj Abdul Wahab Soomro (via video link from Saudi Arabia), and other senior officials of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The session focused on the large-scale mismanagement that barred tens of thousands from fulfilling their religious duty, as well as the controversial handling of Mashaheer services procurement.
Senator Buppi voiced grave concern over the failure that affected thousands of Pakistani citizens. He demanded a breakdown of the refund process, clarification of the funds currently held in Saudi Arabia, and the mechanisms in place for private operator reimbursements.
According to Secretary Rehman, Pakistan was allotted a Hajj quota of 179,210 for the 2024–25 season, with 90,830 slots for private operators. However, a revised Saudi policy requiring each operator to field between 500 and 2,000 pilgrims rendered all 903 Pakistani operators individually ineligible. A stay order obtained by the Hajj Operators Association of Pakistan (HOAP) from the Sindh High Court further delayed compliance, though it was eventually withdrawn on January 7, 2025, following Senate intervention.
By then, payment deadlines were nearly exhausted. HOAP had deposited 50 million Riyals with the Hajj Mission. After the stay was lifted, the Ministry allowed daily remittances of up to $300,000 via the State Bank of Pakistan. Clusters of operators were formed, and 41 were cleared to proceed, yet by the February 14 deadline, only 187 million Riyals had been deposited, falling far short of the requirement.
As a result, just 26,986 pilgrims out of more than 90,000 registrants met the payment criteria and became eligible for Hajj. DG Hajj Soomro disclosed that a total of 667 million Riyals had been remitted to Saudi Arabia, but 489 million Riyals (roughly Rs 36.43 billion) remain unutilized in Saudi accounts. He also noted that two deadline extensions — on February 14 and February 20 — were granted by Saudi authorities, but HOAP failed to meet either.
Senator Danesh Kumar denounced the scale of administrative failure that left over 67,000 pilgrims stranded. Senator Bushra Anjum Butt criticized HOAP for skipping the meeting, stating, “Their non-participation in such a critical meeting is unacceptable.” She also highlighted the plight of overseas Pakistanis who traveled home based on false promises of confirmed Hajj quotas. “They faced immense financial and emotional hardship. This level of mismanagement has shaken public confidence in both private operators and official channels,” she said.
In response, Senator Buppi instructed the ministry to process all refunds without deductions and submit a detailed list of affected individuals and deposit amounts, categorized by the 41 authorized operators. He also called for a public awareness campaign to educate future pilgrims on Saudi Hajj policies for the 2025–26 season.
The committee also scrutinized the procurement of Mashaheer services. DG Hajj Soomro said vendors were selected through comparative bidding, but Senator Buppi questioned the evaluation process after reviewing a letter from former Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain, which raised doubts about transparency in awarding contracts for hotels, transportation, catering, and Mashaheer services.
According to the DG, 14 firms were shortlisted, and the winning bidder quoted 2,870 Riyals. However, Senator Buppi raised concerns over how this firm was awarded a perfect score of 100/100, while the next best received 98 points — with vague reasons like “weak presentation” used for scoring deductions. He also pointed out that the winning company had previously been flagged for performance concerns.
In light of these irregularities, Senator Buppi directed that the current DG Hajj and members of the procurement committee be barred from all future contractual and financial responsibilities. He advocated for a technology-driven, automated procurement system using sealed bids and digital evaluations to minimize human bias.
The session concluded with a recommendation to establish a high-level federal commission to regulate and audit private Hajj operators, with the goal of restoring public trust and preventing such failures in future pilgrimage seasons.
