Islamabad:
The Federal Minister of Religious Affairs, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, informed the Senate on Friday that Saudi Arabia had initially allocated a quota of the Hajj of 179,210 pilgrims in Pakistan this year, also divided between the government and the private sectors.
The Minister explained that, according to the Saudi government guidelines, all operators of the Hajj – public and private – were to make payments for membership, the services of Tawafa and other expenses by February 14, 2025.
The pilgrims recorded through companies that respected the deadline have been successfully enrolled on the Saudi portal, while those linked to late operators have lost their quota.
Sardar Yousuf said that this problem was not unique in Pakistan, because between 300,000 and 350,000 pilgrims in the world was faced with similar challenges.
However, when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took note, he intervened personally, asking the Saudi authorities an extension. Consequently, the deadline was extended until February 21, allowing an additional Pakistani pilgrims to finish their payments.
Following persistent efforts, the Saudi government has granted Pakistan an additional quota of 10,000 pilgrims. Since then, around 23,000 to 25,000 candidates have finalized their payments. Until now, around 115,000 Pakistani pilgrims have been confirmed for the Hajj this year.
The Minister assured that the government is actively negotiating on behalf of the remaining 65,000 candidates, and has personally visited Saudi Arabia twice to follow up, in addition to sending official calls.
He rejected delayed communication allegations with private companies in Hajj, declaring that they recalled several times by official correspondence to comply with Saudi deadlines.
The Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to facilitate all eligible pilgrims, saying: “We are seriously engaged with the Saudi authorities to find a solution for the remaining candidates.”
