Caretaker Sindh Minister for Law and Religious Affairs Umar Soomro has written a protest letter to the Federal Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, urging it to include Sindh government employees in the deployment for Hajj mission services to Makkah and Madinah.
According to media reports, Soomro highlighted the discrepancy in the deployment process, emphasizing that under the Ministry of Religious Affairs scheme for welfare staff, provinces possess the authority to appoint administrative affairs for the Hajj mission. Despite the allocation of provincial quotas, the implementation appears to be lacking, as provinces are reportedly denied a share in the deployment of government employees to Saudi Arabia for the Federal Hajj Mission.
The letter pointed out that, according to the existing Hajj policy, over 300 federal employees are dispatched annually to Makkah and Madinah to assist pilgrims during the obligatory Hajj.
However, the caretaker provincial minister lamented that not a single employee from Sindh has been called upon by the federal government to serve the pilgrims. Anticipating a higher number of pilgrims for the upcoming year 2024, the minister stressed the need for an increased workforce for the Hajj mission.
He called for the inclusion of employees from the Provincial Department of Religious Affairs in the appointment process for services during the Hajj Mission in Makkah and Madinah. The minister underscored the significance of implementing this inclusion, particularly in light of the 18th amendment.
