Islamabad:
The Federal Government is finishing a new Hajj policy that will request an expanded fee of 255,000 pilgrims for Pakistan next year, above 189,000 this year.
The policy, which is being prepared in consultation with the interested parties and will soon be presented to the cabinet, also aims to explore the resumption of travel by Hajj per sea and extend the immigration installation “Road to Makkah” by Saudi Arabia to more Pakistani airports.
The developments were shared during a meeting of the National Committee of Religious Affairs of the Assembly on Monday.
The panel met under the presidency of Malik Amir to tell the House of Parliament, where the Federal Minister of Religious Affairs, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, gave comprehensive information about this year’s Hajj arrangements.
He said that this year’s pilgrimage was “one of the most successful in recent memory,” added that the Saudi government and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had congratulated the Pakistani authorities for well -executed operations.
“For the first time, Pakistan received a ‘prize of excellence’ from the Saudi government for his excellent management of the Hajj,” he told the committee. He added that Pakistani pilgrims received air conditioning facilities in key ritual sites, including Arafat.
Yousaf said that a new Hajj policy is being formulated under the instructions of the prime minister and in line with the Saudi guidelines, and would soon appear before the federal cabinet. The committee members were invited to share suggestions for the new policy.
He added that the Saudi authorities had already issued their Hajj updated policy about the 12th Dhul Hijjah.
Regarding the registration for Hajj 2025, the minister revealed that more than 455,000 people had already registered. “The previous quota of Pakistan was 189,000 pilgrims. Next year, we hope to receive an extended fee of 255,000, for which we submit a request to the Saudi authorities,” he added.
The Committee also discussed the reduction of Hajj’s costs by offering delivery -based payment options, resuming marine routes and limiting the use of luxury accommodations.
Without Mahram
During the session, the Committee also discussed the recent policy of the Saudi government that allowed women to perform Hajj and Umrah without an Mahram (male guardian).
While the minister confirmed that no Pakistani pilgrims were assigned to any Indian company, clarifying that a company called “Asia Bhart” was confused with an Indian entity due to its name, a member raised religious concerns.
Subsequently, the Committee decided to seek the opinion of the Islamic Ideology Council (CII) about the permissibility of women traveling without a Pilgrimage MAHRM under Islamic teachings.
