Pilgrims pray at the Kaaba and Ibrahim Station (Maqam Ibrahim) as they attend Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque ahead of the start of the hajj in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has observed that some international airlines were offering flight fares around Rs. 1,00,000 lower per fares than those charged by national carriers for pilgrims traveling to Najaf Sharif to participate in the Arbaeen Walk.
The committee chairman directed the Ministry of Religious Affairs to take note of the matter, coordinate with the relevant ministry and the national carrier and take appropriate measures to provide relief to Zaire.
The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Religious Affairs also questioned officials over complaints about Hajj events, with members expressing concerns over food quality, transport issues and the continued awarding of contracts to a blacklisted company.
Briefing the Committee on Hajj 2026 Preparations that met last Wednesday, the Director General Hajj said only about 3,000 complaints had been received this year from more than 100,000 Pakistani pilgrims, compared to over 9,000 complaints when the Hajj contingent numbered around 90,000.
He said the complaints were mainly related to food and transport, adding that some pilgrims had expressed concerns about breakfast items, while others complained of transport disruptions caused by a Saudi policy of suspending transport services an hour before the prayer.
The director-general told the committee meeting, chaired by its chairman Shagufta Jumani, that the pilgrims were given three meals daily at a cost of Saudi Riyal 36 per person, adding that some had even complained of being served too much mutton.
Jumani questioned the ministry’s performance, noting that the number of complaints had remained at about 3,000 annually for the past three years despite the director general serving in the position for almost four years. She said officials presented a positive image while social media was flooded with complaints.
She further questioned why the ministry had continued to sign contracts with a blacklisted company for the past three years. She disputed the DG’s claim that an award received from Saudi Arabia reflected outstanding achievements, saying it was merely a token given by the Saudi government.
Rejecting the criticism, the Director General Hajj said the award had been given to only seven out of 40 Hajj missions in recognition of their better performance and said he disagreed with the chairman’s assessment.
Jumani said the committee had no personal differences with the director-general, but stressed that “Guests of Allah” deserved better treatment. She also noted that although Muharram was not yet over, around 325,000 people had already registered for Hajj and observed that Pakistan could receive a quota of 200,000 pilgrims this year.
Committee member Ijazul Haq said that only two videos highlighting Hajj-related issues had gone viral on social media and maintained that the arrangements this year had generally improved. He called on the ministry to adopt a transparent process for awarding contracts, involving several airlines, including Air Arabia and Saudia.
He urged the ministry to present the three-year Hajj policy to the committee before seeking the government’s approval. Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Yousaf said the government’s approval of the policy was obtained due to time constraints and to avoid disrupting Hajj preparations.
He added that the committee’s input could still be incorporated and confirmed that 325,000 entries had been received so far. He said Pakistan had requested an increase in its Hajj quota, though the final decision rested with the Saudi Hajj Advisory Council.
