Private tour operators: Religious ministry recommends maintaining 50 percent Hajj quota

The Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs has recommended the Religious Ministry to maintain 50 percent Hajj quota for each private tour operator and government to provide maximum facilities of transport and accommodation to the Hajjis (Pilgrims).
These recommendations were made in a meeting of the Committee, which met at the Parliament House on Tuesday, which reviewed the matters regarding allocation of Hajj tour operator quota for Hajj - 2009.
The meeting was presided over by Senator Muhammad Saleh Shah, while Senators Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, Dr Abdul Khaliq Pirzada, Muhammad Ali Durrani, Afia Zia, Professor Sajid Mir besides Minister for Religious Affairs syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi and Senior officer of the Ministry and MD PIA participated in the meeting and discussed the issue of allotment of Hajj quota to various Hajj group organisations and a comparative analysis of Hajj fares with other airlines.
Meanwhile, the secretary of Religious Ministry apprised the committee that Saudi government was constructing five-star hotels near Harmay Ka'aba for the accommodations of pilgrims, which is not affordable for every class of pilgrims, therefore the committee recommended that the Religious Ministry should request the Saudi government to construct a building near Harmay Ka'aba for the accommodation of middle income Hajjis.
It also suggested that the Ministry of Religious Affairs should ask Saudi authorities to provide better transport facilities to the pilgrims. The committee also discussed the Hajj fares compared to normal commercial flights and other airlines. Members of the Committee underlined the need for ensuring transparency and merit based selection of the tour operators.
They observed that favouritism and untoward influence has benefited companies who have not only failed to provide adequate facilities to the pilgrims during the Hajj season, but also earned a bad name for the country. Such companies must be discouraged and honest people should be brought into the business, the Committee added.
Members of the Committee voiced their concerns about the exorbitant airfares. They said that PIA should provide maximum relief to Hajjis and also urged the Ministry to closely monitor the performance of the Hajj organisers during Hajj, as the Hajj group organisations should not be given free hand to fleece the people.
Earlier, the Secretary Religious Affairs informed the Committee that according to the Hajj Policy-2009 a new system for categorisation of the Hajj Group Organisers (HGOs) for allocation of Hajj quota was introduced before execution of the said Hajj Policy.
He said that the policy was submitted to the Supreme Court, which allowed the Ministry to make Hajj arrangements as per approved Hajj Policy. He further said that the HGOs have been provided an opportunity for self-assessment and determination of category in the light of given parameters of the Hajj Policy.
He said that 800,00 Hajj quota for the government, while 89,654 for private tour operators have been allocated in Hajj policy 2009. He said that a total of 589 tour operators have been registered. Minister for Religious, Syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi revealed that as per directions of Saudi authorities, no new induction of HGOs was to be undertaken for Hajj - 2009. Only those HGOs, who had been holding registration number (Munazim Number) from the Saudi Hajj Ministry during previous years, would be authorised to participate.
Bank guarantee was replaced with the cash guarantee, to be refunded after four months of the end of Hajj season, the Minister said. Kazmi said that various complaint centers would be established during the Hajj to address the grievances of the people on the spot and to provide them relief.