Contingent upon meeting eligibility criteria: Officials directed to include private tour operator in Haj quota

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday directed the relevant authorities to review the eligibility criteria of private tour operator, Bajaur Haj Services, which was allegedly overlooked in the allocation of private Haj tour operator quotas.

The court ordered their inclusion in the upcoming quota allocation next week if the applicant met the required criteria.A two-member bench, comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Fazal Subhan, heard the case.

The petitioner’s counsel, Babar Khan Yousafzai, informed the court that under the Haj Policy 2025, his client has not been granted a quota despite applying for several years. Consequently, they have approached the high court for relief.

During the hearing, the court was told that over 179,000 Pakistanis would perform Haj this year. Out of these, 84,053 applications had been received under the government quota, while more than 5,000 slots remained unfilled. The petitioner argued that these unallocated government quota slots were being distributed among preferred candidates or private tour operators. Therefore, Bajaur Haj Services should also be included in this distribution.

In response, the court issued notices to the authorities concerned, directing them to ensure that if Bajaur Haj Services met the eligibility requirements, it should be accommodated in the quota. Further hearings on the case will take place after Eid.