Hajj Policy 2025 PDF

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)gq fltnnn ABBREVIATI ONS ASA Air Services Agreement ANF Anti-Narcotics Force CCP Competition Commission of Pakistan CDC Complaint Disposal Committee CHD Compulsory Hajj Dues CNIC Computerized National Identity Card DSR Daily Situation Report E-VISA Electronic Visa EMS Emergency Management System EOBI Employees Old age Benefits lnstitution ERT Emergency Response Team GOP Government of Pakistan Govt. Govemment HGO Hajj Group Organizer HOAP Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan HPFC Hajj Policy Formulation Committee KSA Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mashair M i n a-Mu zdalif ah-Ara fa t Makaatib Service Offices of Moassassah South Asia, Makkah MoU Memorandum of Understanding MORA&IH Ministry of Religious Affairs & lnterfaith Harmony OPAP Office of the Pilgrim's Affairs Pakistan PIA Pakistan International Airline PITB Punj ab Information Technology Board POD Place of Departure PPRA Public Procurement Regulatory Authority PMDC Pakistan Medical and Dental Council PEQ Personal Exchange Quota SECP Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan SR Saudi Riyal SPA Service Provider Agreement SOPs Standard Operating Procedures l;.r.z\ AJJ cy ag  1ro\ LI Pursuant to the Supreme court of Pakistan's judgments cA Nos. g00-L, ggl-L and g02-L of 2013 dated 27'08'2013, cP. No. 1270, 1308, 1309 of 2014, and cMA. No. 4094 of 2014 dared 21'07 '2014' the following Hajj Policy Formulation committee was constiruted to formurate and recommend Hajj policy - 2025 for approval of the Federal Government: l. Secretary, Ministry of Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony Chairman 2. Representative of Attorney General of pakistan Member 3. Representative of M/o Foreign Affairs Member 4. Representative of M/o Law & Justice Member 5. Representative of competition commission of pakistan Member a \J'^  '?r'> GO\TERNMENT OF PAKISTAN MINISTRY OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS & INTERFAITH HARMONY )t)k***r(rt PART.I l. Introdu ction: Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is mandatory, once in a lifetime, for all adult Muslims having requisite physical and financial capacity (Sahib-e-Isteraat). The Government, Rules of Business 1973, mandates the Ministry of Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony (MORA&IH), hereinafter called the 'Ministry' for making Hajj affangements. Despite recent technological and infrastructural developments, there are hardships and challenges for Hujjaj owing to hot weather and over two million Hujjaj visiting Makkah Al- Mukarramah and Madinah Munawara with limited accommodation, transport and space at Mashair (Mina-Arafat-Muzdalifah). Nonetheless, Government of Pakistan endeavors to make the spiritual journey of Hajj as comfortable as possible through a transparent, competitive and accountable process to facilitate the Guest of Allah in line with the Quran and Sunnah. 2. Mission Sta tement: To serve and facilitate intending Hujjaj with commitment and dedication enabling them to undertake their religious obligations of Hajj with ease and peace of mind. 3. Ob ective: The policy aims to develop plans for efficient arrangements ofHajj 2025 in pakistan and Saudi Arabia, through provision of services and logistics which include travelling, boarding & lodging, transportation and health care during Hujjaj stay at Makkah Al- Mukarramah, Madinah Munawara and the Holy Mashair, in line with Saudi Laws and Government of pakistan,s Hajj policy. 4. Haii quota for Pakistan: Saudi Arabia allocated a quota of 179,210 Hujjaj for Pakisran for 2025 @ oneHaji per one thousand Muslims' in accordance with the decision taken at Foreign Ministers' meeting of organization of Islamic Conferen ce, 1987. 5. Agreemen ts with Sa udi Arabian 4uthorities: The following requisite agreements shall be signed ',vith Saudi authorities for Hajj 2025: i. Hajj Affairs Arrangements Agreement for the Hajj Season (1446 AH) between the Representativ e of MO RA&IH, Government of pakistan (GOp) and the Mi nistry of Hajj and Umrah , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ll Agreement befween Maktab-ul-vokala Al-Mawahid (United Agents office), Jeddah, KSA and office of the Pilgrim's Affairs Pakistan (OPAP), Government of pakistan. lll. General transport contract between Naqabah siyarat (General Transport Syndicate),KSA and office of the Pilgrim's Affairs Pakistan (oPAp), Government of pakistan. iv. Agreement on provision of additional services between Muttawify Flujjaj company Makkah Mukkaramah, and office of the Pilgrim's Affairs Pakistan (opAp), Government of pakistan. v. Agreement on alrangements and requirements of Hujjaj for Hajj behveen National Adillah \ )) age  Establishment, Madinah Munawara, KSA and Office of the Pilgrim's Affairs Pakistan (OPAP), Government of Pakistan. 6. Policv inputs for the Haii P Past Hajj policies were reviewed. ll. De-briefing sessions were held with key stakeholders, including Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP), banks, airlines, etc. iii. Online feedback of the last year's Hujjaj was incorporated. iv. Saudi counterparts were consulted. v. Guidance from the Hajj Policy Formulation Committee (IIPFC) was sought and incorporated. 7. Haii Scheme: For Hajj 2025, Pakistan's total quota shall be bifurcated between Government and Private sector as 50:50 i.e. 89,605 each. ll. There shall be two schemes i.e. "Government Hajj Scheme" for those who intend to perform Hajj under Government arrangernents and "Private Hajj Scheme" for those who want to make their Hajj arrangements through Hajj Group Organizers (HGOs), in accordance with Service Provider Agreement (SPA) between MORA&IH and HGOs and individual agreement between a Haji and an HGO. lll. Out of the Government Hajj Scheme, based on the last two years' averages (quota consumed), of 5,000 seats shall be reserved for Sponsorship Scheme. However, if the said quota is not consumed. the same shall be converted into Regular quota with the approval of the Minister. lv Similarly based on the previous two years' averages (quota consumed), a quota of 30,000 of private hajj scheme shall be reserved for Sponsorship Scheme. However, if the said quota is not consumed. the same shall be converted into Regular quota with the approval of the Minister. v. The intending pilgrims of the Govemment Sponsorship quota shall be exempted from balloting and shall be utilized on first come first served basis. vi Under the Sponsorship scheme the applicants shall be required to deposit their Hajj dues in foreign exchange remitted from abroad through banking channel. The foreign exchange secured through the Sponsorship Scheme shall only be utilized for payment of the Hajj related dues to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 8. Mandatory Conditions for Huiiai: Applicants shall be Pakistani citizens having valid Pakistani Passport upto 16-12-2425. ll Children / minor under the age of 12 years are not permitted to participate in Hajj 2025 as per the directions issues by the Saudi Government. I ll. Mandatory health conditions for Hujjaj as per the Saudi Taleemat, elaborated in Hajj Policy Guidelines, shall be adhered to. lv. No Mehram shall be required for women forHajj 2025,as perthe decision of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) 2023, subject to the submission of an affidavit to the effect: i) their parents or husbands allow them, ii) they are in the group of reliable females and, iii) there is no threat to their dignity. v Special citizens idisabled applicants are required to be accompanied by an attendant to proceed for Hajj. vl. Such applicants who are barred from travelling abroad by any Court/placed on ECL are not entitled to proceed for Hajj. e  2py-- vlt In the event of a pilgrim's demise during his/her stay in KSA, whether natural or accidental, he or she shall be buried in saudi Arabia as per Saudi Instructions. vlll. All the Hujjaj shall strictly abide by the laws and regulations of the host country during stay in KSA. their lx Any activiry on the part of a pilgrim contrary to laws/ regulations of Saudi Arabia like begging, political and immoral practices, drug trafficking, theft, etc. shall disqualify the offender for future visit of any kind to KSA by the Government of Pakistan, in addition to any other legal action taken by Saudi authorities. Moreover, as per Saudi laws,..Drug Trafficking,, is banned and in case of violation, perpetrators can be imprisoned, lashed, or even publically executed/beheaded. PART-II 9. GOVERN MENT IIAJJ For Government Hajj Scheme, there shall be the traditional long package of 3g-42days and a short package of 20-25. ll. under the regular Government Hajj Scheme shared accommodation in accordance with Saudi Laws and Housing Permits (Tasreeh and Tasneef) shall be provided along-with boarding and lodging services. Iu. All the applicants intending to perform Ha3J under Government Hajj Scheme shall be called to submit their applications along with Hajj dues. iv. Selection of Hujjaj shall be made through computerized balloting. v. A Hardship quota of 1000 seats shall be reserved to accommodate split/broken family, Mehram for successful ladies, attendants for disabled / special persons and any other hardship need. The applicants for hardship quota shall be selected as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry. A quota of 300 seats shall be reserved for low paid employees (BpS l -9 or equivalent) / Iabors of Public sector/corporate organizations, companies registered with E9BI/ workers welfare Fund. vll. Substitution cases shall be entertained in respect of those successful applicants who cannot proceed for Hajj either due to death, serious illness or any other unavoidable reason, as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry. 10. Procu re ment Com mittees The Mi,istry will notify Procurement committees both pakistan in and KSA to ensure competitive and timely purchases in the most befitting manner. 11. Haii Dues: The tentative Hujj package of Government Hajj Scheme for Hujj 2025 shall be befween Rs' I and 1,175,000/- ; subject to finalization of contracts '075'000/- with the Service providers. PART. III 12. Private Haii Scheme: The Government of Pakistan's policy of engaging Private Sector covers various areas including management, logistics and welfare services to Hu::uj The policy aims to supplement the efforts Government by involvi ng private sector' As of the a matter of policy, M0RA&IH has proactively private sector for Hajj Management since encouraged the 2005. As usual, the MORA&IH shall sign a Service provider )) o lw a  )-o ) / Agreement with each HGo to ensure the provision of better services to the entire satisfaction of Hujjaj. performing Hajj through private sector, under strict monitoring regime. 13. Allocation of Quota: The allocation of Hajj quota to the Private Sector shall be made in a transparent manner accordance with Supreme Court judgments. in ll The minimum quota for each Munazzam/ HGo shall be as per the Saudi directions. llr. Munazzam/IlGos shall be allowed to take part in Hajj operation subject to such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the Ministry. However, any HGo blacklisted by Saudi Government shall not be entitled for operation in Hajj-2025. Furtherrnore, any HGo blacklisted/ barred by the Ministry on account of its adverse performance or due to any other reasons shall also not be entitled for operation untir its clearance. IV A quota of 1225 shall be reserved for Pakistan armed forces as per past practice. 14. Monitorin ofH Os: Monitoring and supervision mechanism fbr Hajj operation in pakistan and KSA shall be strengthened to check/review the performance of HGos Schemes, in accordance with the contractual obligations and saudi Instructions. In addition, profonna based feedback, shall be obtained from pilgrims. ll The Ministry shall notify monitoring team(s) for the Hajj operation which shall monitor the HGos as per the sPA and monitoring mechanism and provide immediate relief to Hujjaj by resolving the resolvable issues on the spot. I ll. The monitoring teams shalr refer the unresolvabre c omplaints against HGOs to the Complaint Disposal Committee (CDC) in pakistan. lv. Appeals against the decision of cDC shail be filed before th e Appellate Authoriry within l5 days of the decision of CDC. PART-IV 15. W elfare Se rvlces for Huii ai: All the welfare staff will be eligible for Hajj provided they pay for required services/space and subject to their avairabirity i.e., being off-duty/reave. ll. Anyone of the welfare Staff who does not desire to perform Hajj can seek exemption individually in writing and claim their respecrive DAs accordingly. 111. A collective arrangement for procurement of space for all welfare staff shall be made by the Ministry /OPAP alongwith the requisite services. IV To facilitate the Hujjaj as per the Saudi Taleemat, welfare sraff will be deputed in KSA against 100 Hujjaj for non-Medical Staff and @ 0l @ I Doctor and2paramedics @ 1000 Hujjaj through a competitive process. The Ministry snltt rnake necessary arrangements for welfare services which include health services, information, facilitation, safety measures, boarding, lodging and transportation etc. The staff shall be deputed to KSA for welfare services on service visa provided by KSA. The welfare staff shall be disrributed amongst Hajj Medical Mission (HMM), Muavineen & sDS, who shall be Government servants of different grades. They shall be bound to provide Nocatrominations of competent authority of his/her departmenVMinistry to join Hajj duty. Moreover, in order to facilitate Hujjaj of Private Hajj Scherne, welfare staff nominated by HOAP, shall also be deputed on need basis. )) o lP age  2* vi' Standard operating Procedure (SoPs) and job description for each category service/activity shall be notified by of welfare the Minisrry in consultation with Director Director Muavineen to ensure responsibility HMM and and accountability. vii' Performance of Hajj of welfare staff shall be linked and subject to the Saudi Government of pakistan policy / guidelines. Taleemat and viii' The welfare staff of various catetories shall be drawn from Armed forces, MoRA&lH, Federal Ministries / Provincial Departments other and Govt organizations etc. ix' The strength of welfare staff in each category shall be determined by the actuar requirement and avairabiriry Ministry in view of of resources. x' Extension in tenure of welfare staff beyond 45 days stay in KSA sha[ not welfare staff' However, if extension be granted to any is unavoidable, a solid justification shall subsequently extension will be granted be made and only with the approval ofthe secretary DA wiil be paid to any werfare staff for the MoRA&IH. No period beyond 45 days. xi' The Hajj operation shall be carried out under overall administration of Director However' all the activities shall be supervised General (Hajj). by the Minister / secretary RA &IH along their monitoring and inspection teams. with 16. ati Ed ca na Tr IN The Ministry shall launch an appropriate awareness campaign, employing all comrnunication to provide information, channels of education, awareness and training to the intending training material shall be available on pilgrims. The the website of the Ministry. Training shall intending Hujjaj in at leas t 02 training also be imparted to the sessions on local basis at District / Tehsil made to further improve the contents/modules level. special efforts shall be in the awareness/training programs by covering aspects: fo,owing l. Manasik-e- Hajj ii. Administrative and logistic arrangements iii. Basic ITlApp usage rraining iv. Medical guidelines v. Guidelines regarding personal hygiene, cleanliness and Solid waste disposal vi. Repeater Muavineen shall be associated with haining to highright the administrative side ofHajj operation. vll. Saudi Laws viii. Possible difficulties to be faced by Hujjaj ix. Female specific issues x. Frequently Asked euestions (FAes) 17. a ohafiz Sc heme: The Ministry shall continue the Hujjaj Muhafiz scheme, Iaunched in 2011 for risk management the concept of "Takafill" to compensate under the affected Hujjaj/nominee of the deceased Each Haji /member of welfare staff shall Hujjaj in Hajj -2025. contribute a non-refundable amount of Rs.1000/- The said Scheme shall compensate Hujjaj/welfare into the scheme. staff against the following losses: a tcy- F,"f  ,4 Death during Hajj in KSA Rs. 02 Million 2 Major / minor injury As per detail given in the Ha Poli Guidelines Emer gency evacua ti on with out p erforman C e o f J H a due to il lness Rs. 250,000 18. General: Implementation of this policy and its guidelines shall be the joint responsibiliry of the Ministry and all other stakeholders. lt. Interpretation of any clause or the terms of the Hajj Policy and its guidelines by the Ministry shall be considered as final. lll. The Ministry shall issue suitable guidelines to elaborate and implement the Hajj policy. iv. This Policy mandates the Ministry to formulate guidelines i Sops / Instructions with the approval of the Minister. V The Ministry may make suitable amendments in the Policy or guidelines with the approval of the Minister in order to bring the Policy, its guidelines in conformity with suuJi Government policy / instructions and to meet the exigency of the Hajj operation -2025. 19. Haii M onitorin Sys tem: Monitoring Team from MORA&IH shall monitor the overall performance of Hajj operations to improve the quality of services. ll. The MORA&IH shall launch an updated electronic monitoring system for Hajj- 2025. The system shall have an in-built mechanism of transferring the un-resolved complaints to the next tier of management for taking appropriate measures. A Daily Situation Report (DsR) shall be generated for the information of senior management. The salient features of the system are as follows: a) Hajj help line for responding to inquiries, complaints, etc. b) Mobile application named "Pak Hajj App" and Mobile sMS service for information dissemination. c) Mobile application for complaint registration. d) On-line complaint registration portal. e) Hajj monitoring system along with a dashboard for official supervisions. iii' Further, the Hajj Group Organizers-Management Information System (HGO-MIS) shall be updated and strengthened and more modules shall be added in it on the basis of experience gained in previous Hajj Operations. 20. Eme rgency Managem ent Svst em (E MS): To cope with any kind of emergency, the MoRA&IH shall setup an Emergency Management system. Emergency Response Team (ERT) shall have the following composition: l. Direct or G ener al a o ffi C e o f P 1 Affairs of Pakistan Head of the ERT l1 D lre ct o r w e I fare S taff M u a vme en o r h I S S EC ond ln Command Member lll Directo r w el fare S taff- M ed C al o r hi S Sec ond I n Comm an d Mernber lv. D I re ctor F ac I li tatr on & C oo rdin atr o n (F & Cr) Or his S econd ln Comman d Mernber V. R t a tiv e o f Am bassad or o f P aki stan ln KS A vi Member tative of Ha Grou Or Association of Pakistan Member a tcy- t-A  21. The detailed SOPs/guidelines of EMS shall be issued by the Ministry (OPAP) separately in consultation with the Saudi Authorities. New Initiatives Haii 2025 I. Robust System of Financial Controls U. Expanded Procurement Committee IIII. Hajj Nazim: Hajj Nazim Scheme will be introduced starting from Ghar-se-Ghar Taak. IV, Mandatory Insurance of Hajj dues: Each Munazzam / HGO is required to purchase insurance for Hajj dues for each Haji covering the Hajj period. ADDENDUM As per Cabinet decision during meeting held on 05th November, 2024, following provisos have been added: i. The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony (MORA&IH) shall ensure that the committed quality of facilities and services are provided to Hujjaj under the Govemment Hajj Scheme during the Hajj operations in 2025, and that the deficits and lapses reported during Hajj operation in 2024, especially in Mina, arc not repeated; ii. MORA&IH shall ensure that the rates charged by private Hajj operators are commensurate with the quality of facilities they offer. MoRA&IH would also devise a mechanism to monitor and ensure tlnt the committed facilities are actually provided by private Hajj operators. The monitoring mechanism shall also include provisions to take legal action against defaulters; iii. First preference in the Govemment's Hajj Scheme shall be given to those applicants who have not performed Hajj before; iv. Ministry of Interior shall, in coordination with MoRA&IH, devise a mechanism to ensure that no person is permitted to go for Hajj or Umrah for the purpose ofbegging. FIA and the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports shall be mobilised to this end. Ministry of Interior shall also liaise with the relevant Saudi authorities. In case of default action shall not only be taken against the persons found involved in beggary, but also the Hajj and Umrah operators through whom such persons travel to Saudi Arabia; v. MoRA&IH shall coordinate with the concemed agencies to ensure that persons going for Haii on both Govemment and Private Schemes are imparted comprehensive training for Hajj, including on logistics, Hajj procedures and practices, clothing, and dealing with emergency situations; vi. MORA&IH shall update the Hajj App with the help of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, if required. The possibility of providing tracking SIMS to Hujjaj, to locate them in the event they get lost, will also be examined; vii. MoRA&IH shall ensure that any unutilized Hajj quota, especially from the Sponsorship Scheme, is reallocated timely and transparently, so that Pakistan does not lose its annual quota; viii. MoRA&IH shall put in place an expeditious, transparent and comprehensive complaint redressal mechanism with the support of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication; ix. MORA&IH shall make an effort to have Lahore airport included in the 'Road to Makkah' initiative; x. MORA&IH, in consultation with the Finance Division, shall examine the possibility of creating a Hajj Fund to subsidies Hajj expenditures for low- income persons' JJ  74 COMPARATIVE TABLE HAJJ 2424 vs HAJJ 2025 Sr. Items Hajj Policy 2024 Hujj Policy 2025 Remarks No. 1 Total Hajj quota 179,210 179,210 2 Distribution between 89,605 (50%) 89,605 (50%) Govt. and Private Scheme J Govt. Hajj Package Rs. 1.07 5,000/- Rs. 1,075,000 1 ,l 75,000/- 4 Hajj dues for Welfare No Yes Staff in case of Hajj 5 Sponsorship Scheme 25,000 for Gofi. Based on last two Pakistan had to surrender 19,500 Scheme and 27,400 years'average, a quota due to lackluster response. for Private Scheme 5000 for Govt. Pakistan may permanently lose Scheme and 30,000 its quota if surrender this time. for Private Scheme 6 Minimum age limit Nil 72 years 7 Compensation in case Rs. I million Rs. 2 million of death 8 Hajj Nazim Nil Hajj Nazim Scheme Hujj Nazim for necessary will be introduced guidance and assistance, will starting from Ghar- travel and stay with his Hujjaj. se-Ghar Taak. 9 Hardship quota s00 1000 10. Makatab C&D D 11. Minimum Munazzam s00 Hujjaj I 2000 Hujjaj / / HGO quota Munazzam Munazzam 12. Mandatory Insurance No Yes of Hajj dues for Private sector h.,v AJJ o cy-