Government Aims to Facilitate Maximum Hajj Pilgrims

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, announced on Sunday that the government is dedicated to enabling the largest possible number of pilgrims to fulfill their religious duty, following the allocation of an increased Hajj quota.

This declaration follows an announcement from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony stating that 23,620 Pakistani pilgrims will be able to participate in the Hajj in 2025 through the Private Hajj Scheme. The status of the remaining 67,000 applicants remains uncertain.

During a recent interview, the religious affairs minister mentioned that an additional 10,000 Pakistanis have been authorized to undertake the pilgrimage privately.

Last week, Saudi Arabia approved Pakistan’s request for an additional Hajj quota, permitting 10,000 more pilgrims to perform Hajj this year. This decision came after a request made by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

DPM Dar conveyed his appreciation to the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al-Saud, for approving the additional quota on X.

The minister stated, “We are striving to facilitate Hajj for as many of the 179,210 applicants as we can. Fifty percent of these pilgrims are participating under the government scheme, and their arrangements are finalized.”

The minister added that during his visit to Saudi Arabia, he engaged in discussions with his Saudi counterpart regarding Hajj-related matters.

“We requested the Saudi government to extend the deadline to ensure that our pilgrims are not left behind,” he explained.

In response to a question, the minister noted that similar situations are occurring in other countries, citing India as an example where 52,000 pilgrims are seeking to perform Hajj.

Regarding potential refunds for those unable to travel, the minister clarified, “Our Hajj policy includes agreements with tour operators that outline the procedure for Hajj bookings.”

“If funds have been processed according to this procedure, it is documented, and those unable to perform the pilgrimage have the right to a refund.”