The committee discussed the performance of the ministry and improvement in Hajj policy 2020 to facilitate the Hujjaj (pilgrims) regarding to the facilities of residence, transport, food and health, etc.
The minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the ministry to formulate a comprehensive Hajj policy. He said that the Malaysian and Turkey models are also under consideration for the establishment of the Hajj Fund, besides a program to extend the Road to Mecca project to airports of all four provincial capitals.
The chairman committee also formed a sub-committee headed by Senator Hafiz Abdul Karim, which also included Senators Zamzam Ahmed and Keshoo Bai as members. The sub-committee would discuss the complaints of the pilgrims and prepare recommendations to provide them maximum facilities.
In a detailed briefing on the Hajj arrangements, Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Mushtaq Ahmed informed the committee that the annual Hajj agreements were signed between Pakistan and Saudi governments on December 9, 2018 and Cabinet approved it on January 31, 2019. He said that at the request of the Prime Minister, the Saudi government increased the Hajj quota from 185,000 to 200,000.
He said that 123,00 people under the Government Hajj scheme and about 76,000 people under the Private Hajj scheme performed Hajj.
He said that Saudi government extended road-to-Mecca facility to Pakistan, and the pilot project was launched from Islamabad airport and Saudi government also provided e-visa facility to Pakistani pilgrims, benefiting 22,000 pilgrims.
The committee was further informed that for the convenience of pilgrims, the facility of mobile biometric was also provided in remote areas of Pakistan. Special tags were also introduced to prevent the disappearance of goods.
He also informed the committee that four airlines - PIA, Saudi Airlines, Air Blue and Saudi Gulf - were hired for Hajj operation. He said that the welfare staff consisting of 1,617 people was deployed from Pakistan for pilgrimage services.
The committee was also briefed about the number of complaints received during the Hajj and the steps taken to resolve them. The committee was informed that 2,034 complaints were received in Makkah, out of which 1737 were resolved. In Medina, 72 complaints were received regarding food testing, 7 were related to food delays and 91 complaints were related to accommodation and all were resolved.
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri told the standing committee that efforts are being made to improve the arrangements so as to ensure maximum number of facilities to people and to minimize complaints. He said that better arrangements were made in the current year than last year.
Members of the committee, Senators Hafiz Abdul Karim, Mohammad Azim and Manzoor Ahmed, said there were a plethora of complaints on social media.
Chairman of the committee Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidari said that it was heard that men and women were kept together on bunk beds which caused problems.