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Arab News
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia's digital Hajj system ‘highly stable, foolproof' — Pakistan Hajj organizers' association
KARACHI: The Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP) this week described Saudi Arabia's digital Hajj system as 'highly stable' and 'foolproof,' crediting the Kingdom for operating it transparently for a long time. Local news outlets this month published reports stating Pakistani pilgrims could face delays in their Hajj journey as millions of Saudi Riyals meant for their expenses were mistakenly sent to an account linked to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). An official at Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Tuesday rejected the reports, reiterating the Kingdom's electronic Hajj system operated with the 'highest standards of transparency.' HOAP clarified that local media reports had misreported the briefing its representatives had given to the Senate and National Assembly Standing Committee on Religious Affairs on Apr. 23. HOAP said its representatives had referred to the Office of the Pilgrims Affairs Pakistan (OPAP) account, not OPEC. It further said Hajj organizers have been transferring their funds to OPAP's account since last year. 'The Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan would like to clarify that the digital system of Saudi Arabia is highly stable and foolproof, leaving no room for any kind of ambiguity,' the association said on Wednesday. 'The Hajj system of Saudi Arabia has been operating transparently and securely for a long time, and we continue to benefit from it.' The association clarified it has never been a part of any 'political campaign,' alleging that local media's misreporting is the 'outcome of a conspiracy, which is equivalent to harming the long-standing relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.' 'We have religious harmony and heartfelt affiliation with Saudi Arabia. We and our Government of Pakistan have longstanding relations with Saudi Arabia, of which we are proud,' it added. This year's annual pilgrimage will take place in June, with nearly 89,000 Pakistanis expected to travel to Saudi Arabia under the government scheme and 23,620 Pakistanis through private tour operators. The total quota granted to Pakistan was 179,210, which could not be met. Pakistan kicked off its Hajj flight operations on Tuesday morning with the first batch of 442 pilgrims departing from Islamabad for Madinah.
Express Tribune
26-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Funds for 67,000 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims sent to wrong account
Listen to article More than 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims could face delays in their Hajj journey after millions of Saudi Riyals meant for their expenses were mistakenly sent to the wrong bank account. According to the Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP), approximately 50 million Saudi Riyals were accidentally transferred to an OPEC Fund account instead of the official account of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. The error has delayed the payment process by more than a month. As a result, private Hajj operators missed the payment deadlines set by Saudi authorities, unaware that the funds were misdirected. Their bookings and pilgrimage plans have been severely disrupted. The situation has caused widespread concern among families of the pilgrims, many of whom now fear their loved ones may not be able to perform Hajj this year. In response, Pakistani authorities have formed a special subcommittee to investigate the error, trace the funds, and prevent similar incidents in the future. The committee will also coordinate with Saudi officials to resolve the issue swiftly. "This payment error has highlighted the urgent need for better coordination and communication between banks, private Hajj operators, and official agencies," HOAP representatives said. With limited time left before Hajj, efforts are underway to rectify the mistake and secure the travel arrangements for thousands of hopeful pilgrims.
Express Tribune
25-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
PM to seek Saudi help for Hajj 2025 crisis affecting 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims
Listen to article Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said Saudi authorities would be approached to facilitate around 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims whose participation in Hajj 2025 is in jeopardy due to delays in finalising agreements and payments. Chairing a high-level meeting on the issue on Friday, the prime minister expressed deep concern over the crisis and directed authorities to make every possible effort to ensure the pilgrims' journey to the holy sites. He assured the delegation present that he would personally raise the matter with Saudi officials to secure approval for the affected pilgrims under the private quota. 'This is a matter of shame for us,' he said, calling for swift and decisive action. 'We must do everything in our power to resolve this issue and avoid denying thousands of people the chance to fulfil a sacred obligation,' he added. The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, members of the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs, and representatives from the Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP). The delegation briefed the prime minister on the crisis and appealed for his intervention to secure the necessary approvals for the pilgrims. Earlier, Secretary of Religious Affairs Dr Attaur Rehman told the Senate that the fate of the 67,000 pilgrims was no longer in the government's hands, citing new policy changes introduced by Saudi Arabia. According to the secretary, Riyadh has now mandated that only Hajj group organisers with quotas of 2,000 or more will be allowed to operate. As a result, 904 existing organisers have been merged into 45 larger Hajj companies. The policy shift has complicated preparations and caused delays in payments and administrative coordination, leaving thousands of pilgrims at risk of being unable to perform Hajj in 2025.
Business Recorder
22-04-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
HOAP seeks govt's help to resolve visa issue facing intending pilgrims
KARACHI: Around 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims face uncertainty regarding their upcoming Hajj journey as visa approvals remain pending, prompting the Hajj Organisers Association of Pakistan (HOAP) to seek urgent government intervention. During a press conference at Karachi Press Club on Monday, HOAP Chairman Zaeem Akhtar appealed to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to secure a 72-hour permission from Saudi authorities to resolve the ongoing visa crisis. 'The majority of these 67,000 pilgrims have saved their entire lives for this sacred journey,' Akhtar said. 'We are facing unprecedented challenges with the visa confirmation process despite following all required procedures.' According to Muhammad Saeed, HOAP's media coordinator, data for 53,348 pilgrims has been entered into Saudi Arabia's Nusuk system, but information for another 13,000 pilgrims remains unprocessed. The association has already paid 680 million Saudi riyals for pilgrim arrangements, he said. HOAP officials pointed to several complicating factors, including confusion over payment deadlines in the Nusuk system, which was closed on February 14 and reopened only briefly from February 20-22. The association blamed Ministry of Religious Affairs for discrepancies in the application timeline, noting that while government scheme applications were accepted from November 28 to March 25, private operators were only allowed to begin processing applications from January 14, 2025. Further complications arose from Saudi Arabia's unexpected increase in the minimum pilgrim cluster size from 500 to 2,000 this year, which required additional time for regulatory compliance through the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Saeed said. 'Despite the increase in cluster size from 500 to 2,000 and HOAP's repeated requests, the government has not permitted us to remit more than $300,000, which was previously allowed for just 500 pilgrims cluster,' Zaeem explained. HOAP acknowledged Prime Minister Sharif's earlier efforts, which reportedly secured an additional quota of 10,000 pilgrims from Saudi authorities. Pakistan's total Hajj quota stands at 179,210, divided equally between government and private schemes at 89,605 each. The association is now appealing for immediate diplomatic intervention to allow 72 hours permission for the submission of the remaining pilgrim applications through Saudi Arabia's Nusuk system. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
System errors may make 67,000 pilgrims miss Hajj
Almost 67,000 aspiring Pakistani pilgrims are at risk of losing their opportunity to perform Hajj allegedly due to system errors that delayed the processing of Hajj applications and the Saudi online portal closed on its deadline. The Hajj Organisers Association of Pakistan (HOAP) has appealed to the president, prime minister, and army chief to engage with the Saudi government to seek permission for the affected pilgrims. During a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, the Media Coordinator of the HOAP, Muhammad Saeed, requested the government to intervene in order to sort out the issue. He explained that the Saudi digital platform Nusuk was closed for application's submission a month earlier compared to prior year, resulting in issues for those whose visa applications were pending. He requested a 72-hour extension to be granted to them in order to secure visas for the remaining pilgrims. He stated that, Pakistan's total Hajj quota is 179,210, which is divided equally between the public and private sectors (50 per cent each). So far, only 23,000 applications have been confirmed, while 67,000 remain unconfirmed, of which 13,000 applicants have been excluded from the system. He noted that until 2024, extension had been granted in Saudi timeline for submission of applications, but this year, no such extension has been made in the deadline so far. Chairman of the Association, Zaeem Akhtar Siddiqui, added that the Government of Pakistan announced it's Hajj policy on November 27, 2024. Under this policy, the Ministry of Religious Affairs started accepting installment-based applications only for the government Hajj scheme from November 28 to March 25, in multiple phases. He further explained that on January 14, the ministry officially allowed the private sector to start receiving Hajj applications. Partial approvals for private Hajj packages were granted on January 8, and after addressing deficiencies, they were finalised by March 18. However, the Saudi system's deadline was February 21, after which it was closed.
