The legacy of Zaka-ur-Rehman Group began in December 1988 when Mian Zaka-ur-Rehman RA took a group of 50 pilgrims with him for Umrah. He was accompanied by his wife Begum Almas and their three sons, Mohammed Zaka-ur-Rehman RA, Ahmad Zaka-ur-Rehman and Mahmood Zaka-ur-Rehman. All travel arrangements were made by Mian Zaka, including visas, airline tickets, hotels, buses and food. At the end of the trip, he refunded the balance money left over to each group member-- a gesture that has been carried on by the Zaka-ur-Rehman Group even today, over a quarter of a century later.
Mian Zaka ur Rehman RA passed away in March 1989, just two months after the return of the first Umrah group. Humbled and happy with their experience, members of that group convinced Begum Almas to continue her husband’s legacy. With the assistance of her son-in-law, Dr Shahzad Akbar, she arranged for another group of 100 pilgrims in December 1989. She then arranged a Hajj group in June 1990 under the Government Sponsorship Scheme. Flights and visas were arranged by the government but hotels, buses and food were arranged by Begum Almas and her family. Her sons Mohammed, Ahmad and Dr. Shahzad Akbar assisted her in all the arrangements. The principle behind the arrangements followed the legacy of their beloved Mian Zaka RA and the family tried to get the best value for money in hotels, transport and food for the members. With their no-profit ethos, at the end of the trip, they refunded the balance money to the group members.
Since 1990, the endeavor has expanded and the family has taken between two and three Umrah groups, and a Hajj Group every year. The group sizes also gradually expanded to 300 and beyond, until ‘Zaka Group’ as it has come to be known, was booking out complete flights from Saudi Airlines. In the early 2000’s, the Hajj operation was still not privatized and the group would apply under the Sponsorship Scheme where flights were arranged by the government. In the year 2003, a group of 250 pilgrims applied for Hajj under the scheme and the Ministry of Hajj was unable to cater to our flight requests or to keep our group together. They divided the group into three parts with gaps of more than a week between the departure of each, which made it impossible to make Hajj arrangements. The group requested the government to refund the cost of all the airline tickets, after which the group chartered its first flight to Madinah Munawwarah on Saudi Arabian Airlines for 250 pilgrims.
It was this incident that eventually led to the launch of Pakistan’s Private Hajj Scheme in 2004, where known groups were registered as Hajj Group Organizers (HGOs). The government realized that private Hajj Groups were forced to apply through the Sponsorship Scheme and were left at the mercy of the Ministry of Hajj for flight scheduling. Almas Zaka-ur-Rehman Pvt Ltd was therefore given a Hajj Quota of 500 pilgrims. The Ministry of Hajj and government of Pakistan no longer had any interference in the flight bookings of the HGOs, who were allowed to manage their own flights according to their requirements with the airlines of their choice.
Since the private scheme launch, our company has been serving pilgrims for three Umrah groups and a Hajj group every year, taking with them up to 500 pilgrims at a time.
The Zaka-ur-Rehman group management is all in the family, and consists of volunteers who have the experience and passion to serve and guide our group members to make their Umrah and Hajj comfortable, economical and truly memorable. It has always been our endeavor to provide the best value for money to all our group members. When we announce an Umrah or Hajj group, we strive to price it at the lowest possible cost, without compromising on the airline, hotel class or buses. Sometimes the costs are not final at the time the package is announced, in which case we adjust and lower the prices as soon as those arrangements are final.
Over the years, the company has developed an excellent relationship with Saudi Arabian Airlines, SAPTCO Transport Co, and the leading hotel companies in Makkah and Madinah. We have also carried out Mina and Arafat arrangements through the leading service groups of the South Asian establishment. Besides being a licensed HGO, we are a licensed Umrah operator and an IATA licensed travel agency. Therefore for all our Umrah groups, we can process Umrah visas and issue airline tickets in our name.
Most of our volunteers take time out from their busy work lives to serve our group members and to make sure the group is provided with a smooth traveling experience and stay. For people who are doing Umrah/Hajj for the first time, we strive to guide them throughout their religious rites. We are always available for any guidance or emergency throughout the trip. And as always, true to our commitment as a non-profit company serving in the name of Allah, we continue to hand back any balance money to our group members at the end of their stays.