Pakistan, April 29 -- For millions of Muslims, the annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia fulfils a lifelong prayer, a journey written into their dreams. That's why the scandal unfolding around this year's Hajj operations hits so viscerally. Much more than a bureaucratic mess, it's, in essence, a betrayal of 67,000 Pakistanis who trusted the system with their faith, their savings, and their hopes.

What we're witnessing is not a simple case of mismanagement. It's a collapse born of familiar negligence: the government's delay in approving the 2025 Hajj Policy triggered a chain reaction, leaving private operators scrambling against impossible deadlines. As if that weren't enough, millions of Saudi Riyals were reportedly wired to the wrong accoun...