Over 67 Pakistanis could miss Hajj – government made payments to wrong account

Tens of thousands of Pakistanis are at risk of missing out on the Hajj pilgrimage after their government mistakenly sent the money they paid for the trip to the wrong account in Saudi Arabia.

Earlier this week, the chairman of Pakistan's Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Malik Muhammad Aamir Dogar, confirmed the error, which could jeopardize the hajj for 67 Pakistanis.

Describing the incident as “one of the biggest scandals in the country’s history,” Dogar called for the government to provide an explanation for why some 50 million Saudi riyals ($13,3 million) were mistakenly transferred to an account allegedly linked to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), instead of being transferred to the Saudi Ministry of Hajj. The exact recipient of the funds remains unclear.

"This is not just about money. It is about the dreams and faith of 67 Pakistanis, who may now be left without going on Hajj. The responsible persons must be identified - whether in the ministry or among the private operators who sold the Hajj packages. If the Hajj cannot be carried out, the money must be returned. We will also examine whether anyone is benefiting from the money of the pilgrims," ​​Dogar said.

In response to Dogari's question, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, federal minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmonization, expressed regret and assured the committee that efforts are being made to recover the funds, writes MEDIA.

"The money sent through the system will be returned. We have already secured an additional 10 places, and talks are underway to secure more places," Yousaf said.

The incident has further exacerbated a growing crisis in Pakistan over the government's handling of the Hajj pilgrimage, with thousands still unsure whether they will be able to perform the religious obligation this year.

Every year, Saudi Arabia allocates a quota of Hajj places to countries around the world. This year, Pakistani government documents show that Riyadh has approved about 179.210 places for Pakistan.

Of this number, government officials allocated 89.605 places to private service providers, while Riyadh gave Pakistani authorities an additional 10.000 places.

However, private operators managed to fill only 23 of the allocated seats. They blamed the Saudi government's online system for this shortage.

This error could also have consequences for Pakistani citizens with dual citizenship in Europe, North America, and South America who have registered for Hajj through the Pakistani portal.

Thousands of people have relied on this route since Saudi Arabia took control of the hajj reservation system for countries such as the UK and the US.

However, the Pakistani government's mistake is also jeopardizing their Hajj as they await answers from their travel agencies. /Telegraph/