In a major setback to Pakistan’s Haj operations, 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims will not be able to perform Haj this year due to the failure of private Haj operators to meet their obligations, official sources have revealed.
The situation has prompted an urgent response from the government, which managed to secure an additional quota of 10,000 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia, thanks to diplomatic efforts led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, who personally contacted Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
This year, Pakistan was allotted a total Haj quota of 179,210, split equally between the government and private Haj schemes — 89,605 each.
However, due to private operators' failure to submit dues and book facilities by the agreed deadline of February 14, only 22,500 pilgrims from the private sector will now be able to proceed — down from the original 89,605.
That means 67,105 Pakistanis under the private Haj scheme have effectively lost their chance to perform Haj this year, marking the first time in the country’s history such a large number of intending pilgrims have been excluded.
Sources confirm that a binding agreement was signed on December 10 between Pakistani private operators, the Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umrah, and the Pakistan Haj Mission, requiring full bookings to be made by mid-February. However, private companies not only missed the deadline but also failed to pay dues, leading to Saudi Arabia refusing to extend the deadline.
In response, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has demanded fresh details from private operators for the newly approved 10,000 pilgrim slots, which will now be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Haj quota for the private scheme has now shrunk from 89,605 to just 22,500, a situation the ministry calls “unprecedented and unacceptable.” Private companies found violating policy or submitting false information will be disqualified, officials warned.
A three-member committee constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has completed an investigation into the debacle and has forwarded its report to the Cabinet Division.
The fallout has exposed deep-rooted tensions between the Ministry of Religious Affairs and private Haj operators, especially after the operators resisted reducing their number from 902 to just 45, as per Saudi guidelines.
Ultimately, only 112,000 Pakistani pilgrims will perform Haj in 2025, instead of the full quota of 179,210 — a shortfall of over 67,000 pilgrims, most of whom were relying on the private Haj scheme.