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