By Asim Hussain
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony on Tuesday held a thorough discussion on the reduction of Hajj Group Organizers (HGOs) from 905 to 46, following directives from the Saudi government relayed through the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
The meeting of the committee was held at the Parliament House which was chaired by Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri.
The committee included distinguished members such as Senators Gurdeep Singh, Molvi Faiz Muhammad, Professor Sajid Mir, Naseebullah Bazai, Hafiz Abdul Karim, and Haji Hidayatullah.
In attendance were also additional secretary of religious affairs, his team and other senior officials.
The officials informed that a letter in this regard had already been dispatched to the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in light of the recommendation of the committee, urging a deferral of this reduction for the current year and a gradual reduction in subsequent years, adding that the ministry eagerly was awaiting a response from the Saudi quarters concerned.
The representatives from the Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan were also present during the meeting.
They emphasized the necessity for representatives of the religious affairs ministry to engage in a constructive dialogue with the Director-General Hajj and officials of the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to address their concerns.
Expressing their lack of knowledge regarding the Hajj Policy for 2024, the religious affairs ministry clarified that ongoing discussions and policy sharing with the Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan were in progress, attributing the communication gap as the reason for their lack of awareness.
The committee was informed that altering the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s decision to reduce the number of organizers seemed improbable.
Consequently, the committee Chairman Haideri stressed the importance of being fully prepared for the upcoming Hajj arrangements.
He emphasized the continuation of efforts by the religious affairs ministry to address the issue.
He suggested engaging with the Saudi authorities to convey Pakistan’s concerns and to request a reconsideration of their decision.
Following a thorough deliberation, it was decided that another letter would be penned to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, recommending the Caretaker Minister Aneeq Ahmed to engage with the Saudi counterpart to further advocate for Pakistan’s position.
In addition, the ministry should urge Director-General Hajj to take serious steps with the relevant authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to resolve the issue.
The committee sought a progress report on the matter in 15 days. In a related update, senior officials from the religious affairs ministry informed the committee regarding Saudi authorities’ approval to initiate the ‘Road to Makkah’ project from Lahore and Karachi airports, underlining the continued efforts to enhance Hajj facilitation.
The committee also suggested starting the efficient facility from Peshawar and Quetta as well.
