Islamabad, Apr 14, 2025: In 2025, approximately 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims will miss the opportunity to perform Hajj due to delays in agreements and payments with the Saudi government, as reported by Hajj organisers.
The main reason behind the rejection of these applications was the failure to complete the necessary bookings and financial transactions on time with Saudi authorities.
This year, Saudi Arabia allocated a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Pakistan, which included 89,605 spots each for both government and private tour operators.
However, only 14,000 applications were approved under the private tour scheme.
Hajj organisers claimed they had secured reservations for the 67,000 pilgrims and had transferred SAR 7 million to Saudi Arabia for these bookings.
Despite this, due to delays in finalising agreements and completing payments, Saudi officials rejected their applications, leaving thousands of potential pilgrims unable to participate in the sacred journey.
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In response to a special request from the Pakistani government, Saudi Arabia provided an additional 10,000 slots.
However, this extra allocation was insufficient to accommodate all applicants, further increasing the number of Pakistani pilgrims left out of the pilgrimage.
Hajj organisers have now appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for assistance in resolving the matter. In response, the Prime Minister has instructed an immediate investigation into the reduction of the private Hajj quota, which has left many Pakistani citizens without the chance to perform Hajj in 2025.
The Prime Minister has formed a three-member committee, led by the Secretary of the Cabinet Division, to look into the issue.
The committee, which includes the Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Federal Secretary of Gilgit-Baltistan, must submit a detailed report within three days.
This report will outline the reasons for the delay in securing the private Hajj quota and hold responsible parties accountable for the mishandling of the situation.
