In this file photo, Muslims perform their Friday prayers in the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Reuters
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has ordered an investigation into the erroneous transfer of over 50 million Saudi riyals (approximately $13.3 million) meant for Hajj 2025 arrangements, after the funds were mistakenly deposited into a Pakistani government sub-account instead of the official Saudi Hajj account.
The error, which occurred through the Office of Pilgrims Affairs Pakistan (OPAP) in Jeddah, caused a month-long delay in the transfer process and reportedly played a key role in Saudi Arabia's cancellation of 67,000 Hajj quotas allocated to Pakistani pilgrims.
The prime minister took action following a report by Nukta, which exposed the administrative lapse. He has since revised the mandate of the Hajj Reforms 2026 Committee, initially formed to propose improvements for the upcoming pilgrimage season, and tasked it with probing this financial blunder.
Committee given expanded terms of reference
A fresh notification issued by the Ministry of Religious Affairs outlines the new Terms of Reference (ToRs). The committee -- chaired by Federal Minister Musadik Malik -- has been directed to investigate:
- The reasons behind the delay in transferring funds to the digital wallets of private tour operators (Munazzams);
- Why the funds were diverted to a government sub-account instead
- Why a lower amount was transferred than required, and why it was not sent within the stipulated timeframe.
The committee is also required to develop a comprehensive action plan to prevent such errors in the future.
The body includes Musadik Malik as convener and Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf as co-convener. Other members are Aziz Boolani, former Federal Secretary Shahid Khan, former DG Hajj Abrar Ahmed Mirza, CEO Tribal and Tour Sanaullah Khan, Secretary for Religious Affairs Shahryar Akbar Khan, Additional Secretary Middle East at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Additional Secretary of the Special Investment Council.
Originally tasked with designing a regulatory framework for Hajj 2026 in line with Saudi Arabia’s updated legal requirements, the committee is now also responsible for investigating the transfer blunder and making accountability recommendations.
Misstep delayed bookings for thousands
As revealed by Nukta earlier, private tour operators had transferred their Hajj payments to the OPAP account in Jeddah by December 17, 2024. However, officials from the Pakistani Hajj Mission in Saudi Arabia later redirected these funds to a government account (referred to as ELM) without proper authorization.
This resulted in the loss of 35 critical days, preventing the operators from booking accommodation and services for over 17,000 pilgrims, and leading to 18,620 private Hajj pilgrims being left without food and lodging arrangements in Mina.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs eventually managed to retrieve and return the money to the account of private operator Violet, but only after significant damage had been done. By that time, essential bookings had been missed, compromising the Hajj experience for thousands.
Leader of Hajj organizers writes to PM
Meanwhile, President of the Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP) Nasir Khan has sent another letter to the prime minister, requesting immediate approval of the remaining Hajj quota for pilgrims registered under private arrangements.
The letter, which has been obtained by Nukta, highlights that 77,706 pilgrims’ data has been uploaded on Saudi Arabia’s MASAR portal, while 64,947 are listed on Pakistan’s HGO-MIS portal. So far, 19,512 visas have been issued, 637 are under process, and 2,946 have been cancelled.
It also says that 685 million SAR has been remitted into Pakistani Munazzams’ e-wallets, with full compliance to MORA’s 38% overseas booking rule.
The letter stresses that these pilgrims have completed all formalities and are only awaiting final quota allocation. HOAP has urged the PM’s office to expedite directives to avoid further delays.
Earlier, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar informed the premier that Saudi Arabia has currently closed its system and is not making further commitments.
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