Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf has held private Hajj tour operators responsible for the failure to fully utilize Pakistan’s Hajj quota this year. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he attributed the issue to missed payment deadlines and non-compliance with Saudi regulations.
Under the Hajj agreement signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in January 2025, 179,210 slots were allotted to Pakistani pilgrims—roughly split between the government and private sectors. While the government successfully facilitated around 90,000 pilgrims, only 25,698 managed to perform Hajj through private operators, leaving thousands without the opportunity.
Minister Yousaf clarified that the Hajj policy had been finalized in November 2024, prior to his appointment in March. Despite his efforts, including two visits to Saudi Arabia, the private sector failed to meet its obligations. He said, “The government quota was fully utilized, but private operators missed crucial deadlines and ignored Saudi guidelines.”
He explained that only companies with a minimum allocation of 2,000 pilgrims were eligible, and HOAP (Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan) had formed 41 clusters for this purpose. These clusters were supposed to deposit 25% of the required funds by February 14, but only a fraction was received by then. Even after a 48-hour grace period, funds for just 10,000 pilgrims were secured.
The minister credited Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s diplomatic outreach for securing an additional quota of 10,000 pilgrims, benefitting not just Pakistan but other Muslim countries as well. As a result, 25,698 private scheme pilgrims will now perform Hajj.
Refuting claims from some tour operators that they were unaware of deadlines, Yousaf stressed that all necessary communications and lists had been shared with them in advance. “Those who failed to meet obligations will be held accountable,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered a high-level inquiry into the matter.
Yousaf assured that he personally inspected the arrangements for government scheme pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, finding transportation, meals, and accommodations satisfactory. Complaints regarding meals or missing staff were being dealt with promptly, he added. Companies failing to meet standards will be blacklisted.
Secretary for Religious Affairs Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman, also present at the briefing, said an investigation is underway to determine how a blacklisted Saudi firm was able to obtain a contract. He noted that pilgrims had the option to decline pre-arranged meals in exchange for SAR34 daily, but none had chosen to do so.
He further acknowledged that some funds had been mistakenly deposited into incorrect accounts, delaying bookings. “The DG Hajj account received only 50 million riyals out of the 700 million needed. Although some funds were misrouted, they were recovered between December and January,” Dr. Rehman said. He emphasized that better management could have allowed the process to continue despite these hurdles.
Minister Yousaf concluded by confirming that the Saudi government will not allocate additional Hajj quota. “Unfortunately, private scheme pilgrims who missed out this year will not be able to perform Hajj now,” he stated firmly.
