Synopsis
On April 14, thousands of Pakistani pilgrims may miss out on Haj this year due to payment delays and quota issues, despite Saudi Arabia’s additional allocation of 10,000 slots. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has launched an investigation into the matter.Key Takeaways
- Thousands of Pakistani pilgrims will miss Haj due to payment delays.
- Saudi Arabia allocated 179,210 Haj slots to Pakistan.
- Only 14,000 private applications were successful.
- Prime Minister Sharif initiated an inquiry into the private quota failure.
- Improved coordination with Saudi authorities is essential.
Islamabad, April 14 (NationPress) A significant number of Pakistani pilgrims will miss the opportunity to perform Haj this year, largely due to delays in agreements and payments, even though Saudi Arabia has provided an added quota of 10,000 individuals from Pakistan.
The complication arises from the inability to manage the private quota, while Haj organizers attribute the issue to late bookings and payments.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has acknowledged this issue and has initiated an immediate investigation into the shortcomings of the private quota by establishing a three-member committee tasked with delivering a report within three days. The premier also questioned why the government failed to meet the deadlines set by Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia designated 179,210 Haj slots for Pakistan, split equally between government and private programs. However, only 14,000 private applications were accepted, resulting in thousands being unable to fulfill their spiritual journey this year.
The organizers reported that they had acquired 67,000 pilgrims and had forwarded 7 million Saudi Riyal (SAR) to Saudi Arabia. However, delays in finalizing agreements led to the rejection of applications by Saudi authorities.
In response, Islamabad has addressed the problem and sought additional slots from Saudi officials, which resulted in the approval of 10,000 more slots. Nevertheless, this extra quota is still inadequate to meet the overwhelming demand, leaving at least 67,000 pilgrims without a spot.
Haj organizers are urging Prime Minister Sharif to take action to avert further complications, emphasizing the necessity for better coordination with Saudi authorities to secure quotas in a timely manner.
