Senator Aon Abbas Buppi Unveils Comprehensive Senate Report Highlighting Major Lapses in Hajj 2024–25 Operations
Islamabad: — In a pivotal meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Senator Aon Abbas Buppi, Convener of the Sub-Committee on Religious Affairs, presented a comprehensive and high-impact report detailing serious administrative failures and financial discrepancies in the Hajj 2024–2025 operations, urging immediate reforms and institutional accountability.
The Committee, chaired by Senator Atta Ur Rehman, also addressed the controversial ban on the Chehlum pilgrimage to Iran and Iraq. However, the highlight of the session remained the presentation of the Sub-Committee’s report by Senator Aon Abbas Buppi, who joined the proceedings via video link and provided a comprehensive briefing on the matter.
Senator Aon Abbas disclosed that 64,000 Hajj applicants were unable to perform Hajj due to gross mismanagement, despite having deposited a staggering 489 million Saudi Riyals (Rs. 36 billion). These funds remain unutilized in Saudi accounts, depriving intending pilgrims of their religious duty.
He attributed the failure to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony (MoRA&IH) and the Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP) for their lack of coordination, delayed response to the Saudi government’s “Masaar” e-Hajj portal system, and a failure to meet critical international deadlines.
Senator Buppi further condemned the Ministry for creating a discriminatory accommodation policy — reserving prime Zones I and II for government-sponsored pilgrims, while assigning private operators to more distant Zones III, IV, and V.
The Sub-Committee report, spearheaded by Senator Buppi, revealed serious irregularities in the award of the Mashaer Services tender to M/s Al-Rajhi Tawafa Company, which was controversially granted a perfect score of 100/100 without any transparent, sealed bidding process. Evidence indicated malafide intent and violation of procurement standards, leading the Committee to demand a formal investigation.
Senator Aon Abbas Buppi also referenced written concerns by a former Minister of Religious Affairs Mr. Salik Hussain, regarding the tender process and called for these records to be made public.
He also referenced the concerns raised by Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, who expressed serious reservations regarding the plight of overseas Pakistanis during the Hajj 2024–25 process. She highlighted that many overseas pilgrims were misled by private Hajj tour organizers through false assurances and were called to Pakistan under the pretense of confirmed arrangements. Consequently, they incurred substantial expenses on travel and accommodation. This irresponsible behavior not only caused financial hardship for the affected individuals but also tarnished Pakistan’s international image and cast a shadow over the credibility of the entire Hajj operation.
He recommended that the government immediately announce the Hajj Policy 2025–26 to prevent further delays, and introduce mandatory training programs for officials of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony (MoRA&IH) as well as members of the Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP) to ensure effective use of the Saudi digital systems. He further urged the appointment of a qualified, Arabic-speaking Director General (Hajj) with a fixed tenure of two years, alongside the dissolution of the existing Procurement Committee and permanent disqualification of its members from future procurement roles. To enhance transparency and fairness, he called for the adoption of sealed bidding and live-monitored procurement processes for all Hajj-related contracts, the implementation of annual independent audits of Hajj operations, and the immediate reimbursement—without deductions—of any applicant requesting a refund, with priority accommodation granted to all 64,000 affected pilgrims in the upcoming Hajj season.
Senator Danesh Kumar, while endorsing the report, lauded Senator Buppi’s commitment, transparency, and professional handling of the inquiry. He termed the report a “wake-up call” for the Ministry and a milestone in parliamentary oversight.
The Standing Committee unanimously endorsed the Sub-Committee’s findings and resolved to forward its recommendations to the highest levels for swift implementation. The members emphasized that justice must be served to the 64,000 deprived applicants and that systemic reforms are vital to restore public confidence in Pakistan’s Hajj operations. It is important mentioning that Senator Danesh Kumar and Senator Bushra Anjum Butt were also members of the Sub-Committee and played an active role in the investigation of the entire matter.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
