Irregularities Alleged in Selection of Government Employees for Hajj Support Staff 2026

**Islamabad (Qudrat Daily):** Government employees who applied to serve as *Khadim-ul-Hujjaj* (Hajj support staff) for the 2026 Hajj season have raised serious complaints over alleged violations of merit in the selection process.

According to a report aired by a private TV channel, Dunya News, applicants have filed multiple complaints on the Prime Minister’s Complaint Portal against the National Testing Service (NTS), alleging grave irregularities in the recruitment process. The complainants claim that merit lists were displayed without conducting the mandatory physical tests, resulting in the denial of rights to new candidates.

Applicants further alleged that within minutes of the results being uploaded on the portal late on the night of December 20, selected candidates received confirmation messages, raising questions about transparency and fairness.

Applications from government employees for *Khadim-ul-Hujjaj* were invited until November 30. Following the alleged irregularities, candidates have also submitted formal complaints to the Prime Minister’s Complaint Portal and the Federal Ombudsman, demanding selection strictly on merit.

Sources claim that the physical tests of successful candidates have been completely dropped. However, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Religious Affairs stated that every year 70 percent of the support staff are selected from previous workers, while 30 percent are new candidates, and that provincial quotas are allocated according to population.

The matter has sparked concern among applicants, who are calling for an impartial inquiry and transparent recruitment process.