Unprecedented: 77,000 Pakistani pilgrims may miss Hajj as payment deadline lapses

For the first time in Pakistan’s history, more than 77,000 pilgrims under the private Hajj scheme have been barred from performing Hajj after private tour operators failed to meet Saudi Arabia’s payment and service contract deadlines.

The unprecedented failure has sparked a national outcry and prompted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to form a high-level inquiry committee to determine the reasons behind the lapse and identify those responsible.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah had set February 14, 2025, as the final deadline for countries in Zones One and Two — including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and several African nations — to finalize accommodation, food, transport, and Tawaf-related service contracts. Pakistani private operators missed that deadline. An additional three-day grace period to February 17 was also missed.

As a result, Saudi authorities canceled all Hajj quotas in Zones One and Two, barring over 77,000 Pakistanis from traveling under the private scheme. Only about 12,500 pilgrims, whose data and payments had been transferred on time, will proceed.

Deadlines missed

According to documents obtained by Nukta, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Pakistani Hajj tour operators signed an agreement with the Saudi Ministry of Hajj in December 2024. The agreement required full bookings to be completed by February 14, 2025.

Despite this clear requirement, the majority of Pakistani private operators failed to fulfill the agreement. Sources in the Ministry of Religious Affairs say policy disagreements between the ministry and operators contributed to the failure.

Although the government allowed operators to transfer funds starting January, many were waiting for advance payments from pilgrims before completing bookings — a delay that ultimately cost them their slots.

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, who had only recently assumed the portfolio, urgently traveled to Saudi Arabia to seek an extension. His visit failed to secure a reprieve.

Following this, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was briefed and took notice of the issue. He formed a three-member inquiry committee led by the Cabinet Division secretary, with the chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue and the chief secretary of Gilgit-Baltistan as members.

The committee was tasked with investigating the failure to meet the Saudi deadline. Initially given three days, the committee’s deadline was extended to next week to allow for further details from the Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

8-point explanation

In its briefing to the committee, the hajj organizers outlined eight reasons for the crisis:

1. Early deadline: This year’s contract deadline was moved up by two months compared to last year.
2. Mismatched policy rollout: Public and private hajj policies were not released simultaneously in Pakistan.
3. Re-registration delays: Saudi Arabia re-registered only 500 organized companies this year, slowing approvals.
4. Currency restrictions: The State Bank of Pakistan only allowed money transfers for Zones One and Two and placed a partial ban on foreign exchange.
5. Unregistered overseas Pakistanis: Pilgrims living abroad were not allowed to register under the Pakistani private scheme.
6. 38% foreign exchange condition: The central bank’s requirement to repatriate 38% of foreign currency delayed fund transfers.
7. Land allocation delays: Despite transferring money for 13,000 pilgrims, Saudi Arabia did not allocate land in time.
8. System outages: The digital NASUK platform was shut down for several days for upgrades, affecting booking processes.

Systemic issues and mismanagement

The association stated that, in line with Saudi policy from 2023, only companies with a quota of at least 500 pilgrims were allowed to contract services. In response, Pakistan allowed the registration of “Munazam” companies — virtual consortiums of smaller tour operators pooling their quotas. These companies failed to collect funds in time due to reliance on last-minute bookings.

Saudi authorities had previously offered flexibility, including deadline extensions and phased payments. This year, however, they applied stricter enforcement, with the global system designed to ensure timely arrangements for all pilgrims.

Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi said that while the problem affects multiple countries, Pakistani operators should have adapted better. “The Saudi system isn’t just for us. It’s global. But we also need to do our part and fix our internal issues,” he said.

Appeal to use ‘diplomatic influence’

The association has appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Asim Munir to use their diplomatic influence. Letters sent to both leaders emphasized the need to approach the Saudi government to reinstate Zones One and Two, restore land allocations, and allow direct fund transfers from organized companies.

The proposals include:

• Resetting the Saudi deadline to 25th Dhul-Qa’dah (last year’s timeline).

• Reinstating land for Zones One and Two.

• Facilitating visas for organizers to arrange logistics in person.

• Allowing companies to maintain a 5-year registration for planning continuity.

The association stressed that payment was completed for hotels, Tawaf services, and transport for the pilgrims — but not within the Saudi-set deadline.

Digital system hurdles

The closure of the NUSUK Masar system on March 25 marked the final deadline. Even those who transferred funds late were unable to complete bookings once the platform shut down.

The SBP’s policies also hampered operations. Restrictions on the number of people each company could organize, delays in foreign exchange approvals, and limitations on overseas Pakistanis’ participation were cited as major issues.

Officials acknowledged that the Ministry of Religious Affairs had acted late in launching the private Hajj policy this year. Meanwhile, some operators had expected Saudi Arabia to extend deadlines, as in previous years, and were caught off guard when it did not happen.

Despite the current impasse, both the Ministry of Religious Affairs and HOAP are hopeful a diplomatic breakthrough might still allow a resolution. Federal Minister Yousaf is in contact with Saudi officials, and the Foreign Office has been engaged to explore possible options.

“If possible, Saudi Arabia will cooperate. But we must fix our systems so this does not happen again,” said Ashrafi.