Private hajj quota slashed to 23,620 as operators miss deadline

The Ministry of Religious Affairs announced on Tuesday that only 23,620 Pakistani pilgrims will perform Hajj under the private scheme this year, significantly below the allocated quota.

Under the Hajj Agreement 2025 signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the kingdom allocated a total of 179,210 Hajj slots to Pakistan, to be divided equally between the government and private sectors.

Nearly 90,000 pilgrims are expected to travel under the government scheme.

The ministry has updated the list of registered private Hajj service providers on its official website and Pak Hajj App. Pilgrims are advised to verify the status of their applications and contracts with their respective organisers.

Read: Hajj scam alert: Saudi Arabia alerts public to rising fraud ahead of pilgrimage

All private Hajj operators have been instructed to issue updated contracts (Hajj Forms) and complete the visa issuance process by April 18, as directed by Saudi authorities.

Hajj flight operations are scheduled to begin on April 29, with the first flight departing from Lahore.