Millions of Saudi Riyals meant for Hajj 2025 payments were mistakenly sent to the wrong account, putting the pilgrimage of over 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims at risk, officials revealed.
The Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP) told a parliamentary committee that 50 million Riyals were deposited into the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) account instead of the official Saudi Hajj account. This error delayed the transfer for more than a month.
Private tour operators had sent the money five days before the October 23 deadline, but were not officially informed of the deadline and learned about it through social media. Payments for 77,000 pilgrims under the private scheme were made before February 14.
Saudi authorities could not find the funds in their system, leading to a lengthy recovery process. HOAP also claimed private operators were blocked from collecting Hajj applications because the Ministry of Religious Affairs prioritized government quotas.
The committee chair, Malik Amir Dogar, called the incident “the biggest scandal in the country’s history” and demanded accountability. A subcommittee may be formed to seek Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s help.
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf said he was unaware of the inquiry findings but confirmed that Pakistan’s total Hajj quota of 179,610 pilgrims was not fully used. A committee led by Musadik Malik has been set up to prevent future problems.