Dozens protest in Islamabad after 67,000 Pakistanis barred from private Hajj

Dozens of protesters gathered outside the National Press Club in Islamabad on Tuesday to demand the restoration of Pakistan’s private Hajj quota for 2025, which was canceled due to missed payment deadlines under a new Saudi booking system.

Among the protesters was Roman, a private applicant who had fully paid for the pilgrimage. “We had submitted our money and planned everything for Hajj 2025,” he told reporters. “We request the government to talk to Saudi authorities and revive our quota. We are heartbroken.”

67,000 Pakistanis affected

The cancellation has affected approximately 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims registered under the private Hajj scheme who had paid fees through local tour operators.

Protesters said they were informed only later that the Saudi government had canceled Pakistan’s private Hajj quota.

Many of the demonstrators, including elderly women, expressed deep frustration.

“We don’t know where the fault lies, but we want the problem resolved,” said one woman protester. “We invested our life savings for this. Now even this final wish seems to be slipping away.”

The crisis stems from Saudi Arabia's overhaul of its Hajj administration for 2025, which now mandates all bookings and payments to be processed via the NUSUK digital platform.

Despite several extensions, many Pakistani private operators failed to meet the February 14 payment deadline, resulting in the cancellation of their quotas—especially in Zones One and Two, which include Pakistan’s major cities.

In total, nearly 77,000 private Hajj slots for Pakistan were canceled, though 10,000 were later restored as a goodwill gesture by Saudi Arabia.

Over 38,000 pilgrims reach Saudi Arabia

By contrast, the government-managed Hajj scheme has so far successfully flown over 38,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, these pilgrims traveled on 143 flights since pre-Hajj operations began on April 29, with flights continuing through May 31.

Hajj arrangements in Pakistan are split between the government-managed program and a private scheme run by licensed tour operators, both overseen by the ministry to maintain standards and ensure smooth facilitation for pilgrims.

In response to the private quota crisis, Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has formally appealed to the Saudi government to reinstate the remaining slots. But time is running thin as Hajj starts on June 4.