Hay while the sun shines: Private Hajj operators charge pilgrims at will

Those not selected through government draw pay exorbitant prices

PESHAWAR: Hajj group organisers (HGOs) are reportedly having a field day after the government failed to fix an acceptable criteria. As a result, these operators are charging at will from those who were not part of the official quota selected from a draw.

Around 210,000 hopefuls were not part of the quota and turned to private schemes. The government, in accordance with a Supreme Court of Pakistan order, decided to allocate 50% of the quota to HGOs.

However, prospective pilgrims were shocked over the charges demanded by these private entities. When contacted, a number of HGOs said the charges were framed on the basis of accommodation, services and facility costs.

An HGO owner said his organisation offered two types of packages. These included a Rs430,000 package which provides accommodation within 800 metres from Haram Sharif, both in Makkah and Madina. The second was a Rs390,000 package for accommodation within 1,800 metres.

Meanwhile, another private operator said the packages can range from Rs400,000 to as high as Rs1,000,000.

The representative of a group in Peshawar said they charged Rs390,000 for their package. Under the scheme, accommodation is within 1,600 metres of Haram Sharif at Makkah and 850 metres in Madina.

The package included two meals and breakfast but does not entail the cost for a sacrificial animal.

Official quota

The government has fixed Rs284,281 for pilgrims from the northern areas and Rs275,281 from southern parts of the country. These charges included the cost for a sacrificial animal. Unlike the past, the government announced attractive packages.

According to official data, 50% of pilgrims go to the pilgrimage through 751 HGOs approved by the government. However, there are several allegations of nepotism and unfair distribution.

“Since 2005, I have been struggling to get quota, but all my requests are being turned down,” said an HGO owner. Another HGO owner from Dir, who registered his group in 2006, has yet to receive a quota.

Senior officials in the Hajj ministry, including the minister, secretary and joint secretary were not available to give their official standpoint despite repeated attempts to contact them.

However, according to Section IV of Clause 21 of the Hajj Policy 2016, each HGO shall also provide an item-wise, detailed cost breakdown of their package to the ministry with documentary evidence.

Similarly, Section VI of the same clause states each HGO shall charge only the actual airfare from the pilgrim which they have paid to the airline.

However, an HGO owner said most operators showed different and contradicting figures of airfare to their customers.

A large number of pilgrims from scattered areas of Swabi, Buner and Peshawar, after learning they were not part of the government quota, approached private groups but were flabbergasted by the rates.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2016.