The National Assembly committee has called for each parliamentarian to get a Hajj quota for 10 people and for an official parliamentary delegation to visit Medina and Makkah every year at government cost.
Islamabad — A key committee in Pakistan’s National Assembly has asked the government to set aside Hajj slots for lawmakers to nominate people and to arrange yearly trips for parliamentarians to the holy sites in Saudi Arabia, fully paid by the state.
The Standing Committee on Religious Affairs, chaired by MNA Shagufta Jamani, made these demands during a recent meeting. The panel directly requested the Minister for Religious Affairs, Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, to provide the special arrangements.
Committee chairperson Shagufta Jamani explained that every Member of the National Assembly should have the right to put forward 10 names for Hajj. She said these names should come on official letterhead and go straight to the ministry. She stressed that the move would please members and bring spiritual benefits, while noting it should not be labeled simply as a “quota.”
The minister responded that the ministry already accepts names put forward by parliamentarians and has included those from the Minister of State as well.
The committee went further by proposing a regular parliamentary delegation to visit Rauza-e-Rasool (the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina) to offer greetings from the Pakistani people. Such visits would happen every year, covering both Medina and Makkah. In the absence of the Speaker, the committee chairperson would lead the group.
Shagufta Jamani pointed out that the Speaker has taken groups of 15 people in the past. She argued that the National Assembly should cover all costs for this delegation, as personal travel would not count as an official act. Committee members backed her view, saying state funding was necessary.
Until Pakistan House in Saudi Arabia is ready, the delegation should stay in hotels with government covering the bill. Family members joining would pay their own way. The group would fall under the National Assembly’s oversight.
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These proposals come as Pakistan prepares for Hajj 2026, with the quota from Saudi Arabia set at around 179,210 pilgrims — similar to recent years. The ministry has been handling applications and policies for both government and private schemes.
No final decision has been announced yet on the committee’s requests. The matter now rests with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and higher authorities.
