Islamabad:
In November last year, the government announced that 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims would make Hajj in 2025. According to the Hajj policy, the Hajj quota was divided with a 50:50 proportion between the government and private schemes with 89,605 seats reserved for each.
However, in a statement issued on Thursday, the spokesman of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Umar Batt, announced that only 23,620 Pakistan pilgrims will be able to make Hajj in 2025 under the private scheme of Hajj
Before the announcement, the Ministry Secretary informed the Senate Committee that around 67,000 people registered under the private scheme seemed unlikely that they could perform the Hajj this year.
At a meeting of the Senate Religious Affairs Committee, both the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the President of the Association of Hajj Private Operators gave detailed reports.
The president of the association, Sanaullah, told the Committee that the federal cabinet approved the Hajj 2025 policy after a delay of more than two months because private tourist operators could not submit their requests on time.
He said that the funds of 67,000 pilgrims, 680 million Riyals, had already been transferred to Saudi Arabia, and due to the remaining limited time, no more agreements were possible. He demanded that a high -level committee be sent to Saudi Arabia, urging the prime minister to intervene in the matter.
The Senate Committee unanimously decided to write a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requesting a meeting so he can speak with the Saudi prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
