Ministry error led to cancellation of 67,000 Pakistani Hajj quotas

An administrative mistake involving more than 50 million riyals ($13.3 million) has emerged as a key factor in Saudi Arabia's cancellation of 67,000 Pakistani Hajj pilgrim quotas, according to documents obtained by Nukta.

Private tour operators had transferred the funds to their account at the Office of Pilgrims Affairs Pakistan (OPAP) in Jeddah by December 17, 2024. However, officials from the Pakistani Hajj Mission in Saudi Arabia then transferred the money to the Government Scheme Account (ELM) without authorization, the documents show.

Riyad Bank statement showing a 50.9 million riyal outgoing transfer from OPAP's account on December 17, 2024.Nukta

"This resulted in the failure to arrange accommodation and food facilities in Mina for 18,620 private scheme Hajj pilgrims," a source familiar with the matter told Nukta.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs took approximately 35 days to retrieve the money back to the private operators' Violet account, missing crucial deadlines for securing pilgrim accommodations in Saudi Arabia. At the time of the funds' return, Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Zulqarnain Haider, and the DG Hajj in Saudi Arabia, Abdul Wahab Soomro, who is still performing his duties, were present.

Internal Ministry of Hajj report confirming 50 million SAR transfer to government account and loss of 18,000 pilgrim spotsNukta

Private tour operators claim the misdirected funds had severe consequences. "If this money had been in the correct account, land could have been acquired for 18,620 more private pilgrims, and the private sector would have confirmed bookings for about 31,000 pilgrims," one operator said.

Sources allege the ministry used the misdirected funds "for land and other payments for the official Hajj scheme, which is a violation of rules and regulations." The ministry eventually wrote to Saudi authorities requesting the funds be returned to private tour operators Violet, a process that took over a month.

During a National Assembly Standing Committee briefing, Muhammad Bilal, representing private tour operators, detailed the timeline of events. "The first deadline was given on October 23, 2024, five days before which we had sent the required amount," Bilal said. "Our money went to OPAP's account, from where it was transferred to another account without informing us."

When Standing Committee Chairman Amir Dogar asked who was responsible for the erroneous transfer, "no clear answer was given by the ministry," according to sources present at the meeting.

"The Saudi government kept looking for our money in its digital account, while our money was transferred to another wrong account through DG Hajj, creating many obstacles in meeting the deadline," Bilal told the committee.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif, and the Standing Committee of the National Assembly have been informed about the misdirected funds situation as diplomatic efforts continue to resolve the crisis for the affected pilgrims.

Officials named in controversy

Private tour operators have specifically named former Secretary of Religious Affairs Zulqarnain Haider and current DG Hajj Jeddah Abdul Wahab Soomro as being "behind this issue," and allege that Minister of Religious Affairs Chaudhry Salik Hussain was aware of the matter.

Nukta has learned that the Ministry of Religious Affairs is not the only entity authorized to transfer money from OPAP. The ministry and private tour operators have hired a third-party audit firm, Asif Associates Chartered Accountants, which is authorized to verify fund transfers from Pakistan to Jeddah. The firm "keeps a complete account of the verification of the transfer of money from Pakistan to Jeddah," according to sources.

Muhammad Bilal also alleged the ministry prioritized government scheme pilgrims: "The Ministry of Religious Affairs was initially busy fulfilling the Hajj pilgrims under its government scheme so that the remaining ones would be given to the private scheme. We had paid the initial amount for the zone of 77,000 pilgrims before February 14."

What is OPAP?

OPAP is responsible for making Hajj arrangements in Saudi Arabia according to guidelines issued by the Saudi government. The organization coordinates with Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs, the foreign office, and Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to handle all affairs related to pilgrims once they arrive in Saudi Arabia until they return home.

According to official documentation, OPAP "creates and identifies economical and beneficial arrangements for Pre Hajj and Post Hajj activities while coordinating with Saudi Based organizations for better facilities and facilitation during Hajj days of Mashair. The Mashair are the exclusive domain of Saudi organizations and Saudi government."

Road to Makkah project

Meanwhile, preparations for the government Hajj scheme continue uninterrupted. Under the "Road to Makkah" project, 50,500 government scheme pilgrims will complete immigration procedures in Pakistan before departure—28,000 from Islamabad International Airport and 22,500 from Karachi International Airport.

"In the Road to Makkah project, the immigration of Pakistani Hajj pilgrims will be completed in Pakistan instead of Saudi Arabia," a ministry spokesperson said. "Saudi officials and personnel will serve in Islamabad and Karachi during the Hajj operation starting from April 29."

The government plans to operate 100 flights from Islamabad and 80 from Karachi under this project, which allows pilgrims to travel directly to their accommodations in Makkah without immigration procedures upon arrival in Saudi Arabia.