Free Hajj big burden on ministry

The free Hajj facility accorded to journalists, politicians and other influential persons costs millions of rupees.

ISLAMABAD: The free Hajj facility accorded to 450 journalists, politicians and other influential persons in 2009-2010 by the Ministry of Religious Affairs at a cost of millions of rupees of taxpayer money has surfaced only after the Ministry of Interior, which had earlier promised to foot the bill, has refused to oblige. The Ministry of Religious Affairs quietly paid bills worth hundreds of thousands of Saudi Riyals on the assurance, officials say, that the interior ministry would foot the final bill. Now that money is outstanding and the matter has come to light through a letter written by a high ministry official who has demanded that the dues be cleared.

The first bill of 700,000 Saudi Riyals for free Hajj in 2009 for 200 journalists, politicians and others is yet to be paid despite a lapse of 16 months. Now, officials say, the second bill - this time for 2010 in which 248 such persons performed free Hajj on the recommendations of the interior ministry, has been presented to the interior ministry for reimbursement.

The 450 Hujjaj who performed the free Hajj were recommended by the interior ministry. The concept of free Hajj for journalists, politicians and others was started in 2009 when 200 Hujjaj were sent to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj on recommendation of Interior Minister Rehman Malik. In 2010, once again 248 journalists including their wives, as well as politicians and others, were sent to perform free Hajj on the recommendation of the interior ministry. The purpose was to win the much-needed sympathies of journalists and politicians. They were also allowed free PIA flights to Saudi Arabia to perform the pilgrimage.

The toal cost of those who performed the free  Hajj on the interior ministry’s recommendation is calculated at Rs15 million. The Express Tribune is also in possession of the names of the 450 lucky ones - the journalists, their wives, politicians and others who had performed the Hajj in 2009 & 2010.

According to official documents available with The Express Tribune, a contingent of 200 Hujjaj “sponsored” by the Ministry of Interior reached Madinah by PK 7703 on November 11, 2009 for performance of Hajj. The bill now sent to Interior Minister Rehman Malik includes bills on account of accommodation charges at Madinah (cost SR80,000), catering during stay (SR5,840), transportation charges (SR8,200), dinner at Al Shohada Hotel (SR5,000), food charges at Minnah/Arafat (SR1,000) and accommodation charges at Makkah (SR593,550).

The whole affair came to light when Sarwar Raza Qazilbash, the former secretary religious affairs, wrote a letter dated January 26, 2011 to the current secretary of the religious affairs ministry in which he revealed that expenditures on free Hajj of 200 politicians, journalists and others were yet to be recovered from the interior ministry. He also attached a list of those persons.

According to this official note, the former secretary wrote that he remained in Saudi Arabia from 30.9.2010 to 29.10.2010 for hiring of buildings in Makkah. On his return, he received a call from the minister of interior in which he was informed that 204 (to be confirmed from the DG Hajj as the figure then swelled to 248) journalists were “nominated” by him to perform Hajj in 2010.

The secretary wrote that Rehman Malik also requested necessary arrangements for the pilgrims like flights as well boarding and lodging in Makkah and Madinah. As PIA had exhausted its slots by 10.11.2010, therefore, it could not carry these pilgrims after that date. The minister was informed accordingly who then spoke to MD PIA and a slot was arranged in Jeddah instead.

Qazilbash wrote that in this backdrop, the DG Hajj was required to make arrangements for accommodation. A building by the name of “Abraj Makkah” was booked at a distance of about 1,300 meters from the Haram.

Similarly arrangements were also made at Madinah. The former secretary wrote that all this was done with the tacit understanding that the payments on account of rent would be disbursed to ministry of religious affairs immediately. Moreover, he pointed out that under the given circumstances, no flight could land in Jeddah and no Hajji could enter Makkah till the mandatory requirements of having accommodation booked for them was in place.

The former secretary wrote that letters were addressed to the ministry of interior for making payments but unfortunately no reply was received. “The money on account of Makkah accommodation as well as Madinah accommodation charges may be recovered from the Minister of Interior or the Baharia Trust. The details on this account along with actual expenditures incurred by Hajj mission can be collected from Director-General of Hajj which may be recovered to avoid any audit objection. Similar exercise may also be carried out for the immediate pending year, 2009,” the former secretary wrote in his note to the current secretary.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2011.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: February 21, 2011

An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that the per-person cost of performing Hajj for free was Rs15 million. That figure represents the total cost of all persons who performed Hajj for free.