The Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony convened to discuss the consequences of Saudi Arabia’s decision to significantly decrease the number of Hajj Group Organizers (HGOs) from Pakistan.
The members deliberated on the potential implications for the upcoming Hajj season due to Saudi Arabia’s reduction of Pakistani HGOs from 905 to just 46.
Chaired by Abdul Ghafor Haideri, the committee meeting was attended by senators Molvi Faiz Mohammad, Hafiz Abdul Karim, Professor Sajid Mir, Naseebullah Bazai, Haji Hidayatullah, and Gurdeep Singh. Additionally, the meeting was graced by the presence of the additional secretary of the religious affairs ministry, a team of senior officials, and representatives from the Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP).
The committee also disclosed that the Saudi authorities have given their approval for the ‘Road to Makkah’ project, which initially operates from Lahore and Karachi airports, with a proposal to extend it to airports in Peshawar and Quetta.
During the meeting, it was disclosed that a formal letter had been dispatched to the Saudi Hajj and Umrah Ministry, requesting a deferral of the reduction for the current year and proposing a gradual decrease in the years to come.
The committee members recommended that Caretaker Minister of Religious Affairs, Aneeq Ahmed, engage with his Saudi counterpart at the highest level to address the matter. Additionally, the committee decided to send another letter to the Saudi Ministry of Religious Affairs regarding the number of Hajj Group Organizers.
The ‘Road to Makkah’ initiative is part of Saudi Arabia’s Guests of God Service Program, which was inaugurated by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud in 2019 as a part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. This agreement is renewed annually with various countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco, and Bangladesh.
The agreement was renewed in May, marked by the visit of Saudi Arabia’s deputy interior minister, Dr. Nasser bin Abdul Aziz Al-Dawood, to Pakistan, where he met with the then-interior minister Rana Sanaullah.
Under this initiative, Hajj pilgrims are granted visas and provided with services, such as baggage facilities, at their respective countries’ airports. Pilgrims are then transported directly to buses that take them to their accommodations in Makkah and Madina, while their luggage is delivered to them, simplifying their arrival in Saudi Arabia.
