Pakistan says no more private Hajj quotas this year, leaving thousands disappointed

Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf clarified on Friday that Saudi Arabia will not be allotting any additional Hajj quota to Pakistan this year, effectively barring thousands of private scheme pilgrims from performing Hajj.

Hajj arrangements in Pakistan are divided between a government-managed program and a private scheme run by licensed tour operators -- both supervised by the Ministry of Religious Affairs to ensure quality standards and smooth facilitation.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad alongside Secretary Religious Affairs Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman, the minister placed full responsibility for the cancellation of the private Hajj quota on the private tour operators.

How missed payments shut out 67,000 pilgrims

This year’s issue stems from the failure of many private Hajj operators to meet a key requirement set by the Saudi government: submitting 25% of the total dues and complete documentation by February 14, 2025.

Under updated Saudi rules, only operators grouped in clusters with a minimum of 2,000 pilgrims were eligible, but due to poor compliance, the required funds for tens of thousands of pilgrims were not deposited in time. As a result, Saudi authorities canceled Pakistan’s private quota of 67,000 pilgrims, leaving a large number of intending pilgrims unable to perform Hajj.

The minister added that while some operators claimed they were not informed about deadlines, the Ministry consistently provided timely communication and updates.

"The remaining quota under the private scheme, which was canceled, has not been reinstated. Although we have written to the Saudi government—on the request of parliamentary standing committees and the tour operators—no response has been received yet," he said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a committee to investigate the issue, the minister added. “Once the committee submits its report, those found responsible will be held accountable.”

Sardar Yousuf explained that while the full government quota has been utilized, the private tour operators failed to deposit the required funds in time and did not comply with Saudi regulations. As per Saudi Arabia’s updated policy, only companies with a minimum quota of 2,000 pilgrims were eligible this year, leading to the formation of 41 clusters of Hajj organizers.

Operators were instructed to deposit 25% of the required funds by February 14, 2025. However, compliance was poor. An extended deadline of 48 hours was granted, during which payments for only 10,000 pilgrims were completed. Consequently, only 25,000 Pakistani pilgrims will be able to perform Hajj this year under the private scheme.

HOAP slams government, demands accommodation next year

During a recent visit to Saudi Arabia, the minister reviewed the arrangements for government scheme pilgrims and reported satisfaction with the quality of services, including food, transport, and accommodations. "There is only one category in the government scheme, and if any pilgrim faces issues, they should report them to our staff on the ground," he said.

Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman provided further financial details, revealing that 50 million Saudi Riyals were deposited in the account of the Director General Hajj, while 700 million Riyals were routed through private tour operators. Of the 50 million Riyals that went into unofficial or disputed accounts, the funds were eventually returned in December and January. However, he noted that the opportunity to book accommodation plots using these funds was missed.

He confirmed that the Saudi government canceled the Hajj quotas for Zones One and Two -- including Pakistan’s private quota of 67,000 -- due to failure to submit funds and required documents by the February 14 deadline.

In response, the Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP) strongly criticized the government’s stance. In a statement, HOAP said the minister's press conference added insult to injury for the 67,000 private pilgrims affected by the cancellation.

HOAP spokesperson Muhammad Saeed emphasized that the Saudi government's deadline had affected not just Pakistanis but pilgrims from various countries. He urged the Ministry of Religious Affairs to act responsibly and announce that affected pilgrims will be accommodated in next year’s Hajj, similar to steps taken by other countries.

Saeed also pointed out that the February 14 agreement was a government-to-government (G2G) arrangement signed by two authorized officers from the ministry. He accused the ministry of failing to secure sufficient space in Mina and stressed that the affected 67,000 pilgrims are Pakistani citizens whose grievances must be addressed. He assured that pilgrims seeking refunds would receive full reimbursements through their respective Hajj organizers.