Islamabad:
The Federal Minister of Religious Affairs, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, informed the Senate on Friday that Saudi Arabia initially had assigned a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims to Pakistan this year, also divided between government and private sectors.
The minister explained that, according to the directives of the Saudi government, all Hajj operators, public and private, had to complete the payments of accommodation, Tawafa services and other expenses for February 14, 2025.
Pilgrims registered through companies that met the deadline were successfully registered in the Saudi portal, while those linked to late payment operators lost their fee.
Sardar Yousuf clarified that this problem was not exclusive to Pakistan, between 300,000 and 350,000 pilgrims worldwide they faced similar challenges.
However, when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif realized, he intervened personally, asking the Saudi authorities for an extension. As a result, the deadline was extended until February 21, allowing 13,600 additional Pakistani pilgrims to complete their payments.
After persistent efforts, the Saudi government gave Pakistan an additional quota of 10,000 pilgrims. Since then, around 23,000 to 25,000 applicants have finished their payments. Until now, approximately 115,000 Pakistani pilgrims have been confirmed by Hajj this year.
The minister assured that the government is actively negotiating on behalf of the remaining 65,000 applicants, and has personally visited Saudi Arabia twice to follow up, in addition to sending formal appeals.
He dismissed the delayed communication claims with Hajj private companies, stating that they were repeatedly reminded through the official correspondence to comply with Saudi’s deadlines.
The minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to facilitate all eligible pilgrims, saying: “We are seriously committed to the Saudi authorities to find a solution for the remaining applicants.”
