The Ministry of Religious Affairs has announced that private group bookings for Hajj 2025 will begin on January 10.
In a video statement, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi stated that private bookings for Hajj will begin from tomorrow after the matters are resolved. He added that the Pakistani government will work to improve the provisions on government quota and private Hajj pilgrims.
Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi also emphasized that compliance with the laws of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is mandatory.
It is worth mentioning that Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Chaudhry Salik Hussain yesterday chaired a meeting on this issue, which was attended by Pakistan Ulema Council Chief Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, Secretary Religious Affairs Zulfiqar Haider and HOAP President Nasser Khan.
Previously, it was announced that women attempting to perform Hajj without a male guardian (mahram) would need permission from their husbands or fathers, according to a statement from the Ministry of Religious Affairs on Tuesday.
A week ago, Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs Dr. Zulfiqar Haider suggested that the government plans to stop managing the Hajj arrangements.
He indicated that starting next year (2026), the entire Hajj program can be allocated to private operators, as reported by Express News.
Dr Haider made these comments during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs, chaired by Senator Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman on Tuesday.
According to Saudi Arabia’s directives, he revealed that the number of companies operating for Hajj was reduced from 500 to 162 last year. He added that the ministry intended to stop managing Hajj arrangements in the future.
The secretary further mentioned that all Hajj operations could be carried out by private operators next year. However, he warned that private Hajj operators must withdraw their cases from the courts, or their fees will be revoked. Initially, 904 private companies were registered for Hajj operations.
He also commented that Saudi Arabia had expressed concern about the many companies involved.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has announced that polio vaccination is mandatory for travelers from Pakistan and several other countries.
In a statement, GACA specified that passengers from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mozambique must present a valid polio vaccination certificate upon entering the Kingdom.
