ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs is formulating regulations to take control of Umrah operations under the new Hajj and Umrah (Regulation) Act, 2024, a spokesperson for the ministry said on Monday.
Under the new law, which came into effect this month, the Ministry of Religious Affairs will establish separate funds for Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. While the ministry already oversaw Hajj operations, this will be the first time it will regulate Umrah operations.
All matters, including the issuance of licenses to operators, will now be handled by religious affairs ministry, and a four-member complaint disposal committee (CDC), led by an officer of Grade-20 or above, will address complaints relating to negligence or violation of agreements.
Penalties for violations include blacklisting, suspension or cancelation of licenses, or reduction of quotas for Hajj or Umrah group organizers, while the CDC may also forfeit performance guarantees in serious cases. However, CDC decisions could be appealed before three-member appellate committees.
“The Ministry of Religious Affairs has already started the process of preparing rules and regulations to oversee Umrah operations in the country,” Muhammad Umer Butt, the ministry’s spokesperson, told Arab News.
He said the process would take some time as several departments and stakeholders needed to be consulted to finalize the procedures.
Asked about the need to regulate the Umrah pilgrimage, he said Umrah operations were previously decentralized and run by hundreds of private tour operators, which created a lot of problems for pilgrims due to the absence of a proper mechanism of accountability.
“This move aims to centralize and organize the system, reduce the number of operators by allowing only registered operators to offer Umrah services,” he said, adding the ministry wanted to streamline operations.
“A complaint cell and resolution mechanism, similar to Hajj operations, will be established to benefit the public,” Butt said. “If any issues arise, there will be a government forum for accountability and resolution of complaints regarding the operators.”
Consultations were also ongoing with provincial governments for their input, according to the religion ministry spokesperson.
“The main objective is to ensure comfort of Umrah pilgrims, protect them from potential fraud, and improve their experience through effective complaint resolution and accountability mechanisms,” he said.
Muhammad Faizan, a senior member of the Pakistan Umrah Tour Operators Association in Rawalpindi, said the ministry had not yet contacted the association, but they would provide their suggestions, once approached.
“We will offer our input to ensure there is no excessive bureaucracy and Umrah operations continue smoothly,” he told Arab News. “It differs from the Hajj operation as Umrah runs almost year-round, so it requires uninterrupted functioning.”
Faizan emphasized that the tour operators intended to facilitate pilgrims and a proper mechanism to address their grievances would be beneficial for all.
“This would also be advantageous for operators as limiting the service to registered operators would encourage them to maintain their reputation,” he said. “Small, unregistered companies often engage in false promises to pilgrims.”
