THE relevant authorities in Pakistan are often blamed for negligence and poor management when it comes to Haj arrangements and not without reason. This time around, apparent bungling and finger-pointing may prevent around 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims from making the voyage to the holy land to carry out their religious duties. In fact, the prime minister recently held a meeting to discuss the crisis, promising to approach the Saudi government to resolve the issue, while expressing his displeasure with the religious affairs ministry over the debacle. The official Haj quota for Pakistani pilgrims including those travelling through the government scheme and those going through private operators -is just over 179,000 individuals for the current year. But 67,000 of these intending hajis may not make the cut. Various reasons are being cited for the lapse. Some reports indicate that the private Haj organisers have failed to meet the Saudi government`s criteria, while the operators claim the problem lies with the Saudi authorities, whose system `crashed`, delaying payments. Other reports suggest that the money for Haj was sent to the wrong Saudi account.

A thorough, transparent probe is required to indicate what exactly went wrong, and to ensure it does not happen again.

Moreover, the PM should request the Saudi government to allow all the pilgrims that have qualified to proceed for Haj. The fact is that mismanagement has plagued the organisation of the pilgrimage for years. In the past, a religious affairs minister, along with other senior officials, were convicted later acquitted in a Haj corruption case. Nearly every year, pilgrims complain of inadequate, substandard lodging and transport facilities, as well as hidden costs. The state needs to ensure that the whole Haj experience from the application stage to the pilgrims` return home is a smooth and painless one. This sacred rite should not be spoiled due to bureaucratic bungling and the avarice of unscrupulous organisers.