Over 63,000 Haj allocations from Pakistan’s quota lapse

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousuf on Friday said that remaining thousands of applicants under private Haj scheme would not be able to perform this year.

Addressing a news conference here, the minister for religious affairs said that 25,698 intending pilgrims out of quota of nearly 89, 605 would be able to perform Haj this year. This means that Pakistan has surrendered a quota of 63,907 for the upcoming Haj.

The minister said the prime minister had already constituted a committee to investigate as to why the complete quota could not be utilised and strict action would be taken against those responsible.

Sardar Yousuf said that previously the payment of only 3600 applicants could be deposited by the previous deadline of February 14. Later the deadline was extended by one week and another 10,600 applications with payment were finalised.

However, following intervention by the foreign minister, his Saudi counterpart agreed to give quota of 10,000 in middle of April and a deadline of April 18 was given.

He said that some private operators blamed that they were not apprised of the deadline. “But as a matter of fact, their organisation was addressed letters on different occasion”, he said.

Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP) Chairman Zaeem Akhtar Siddiqui, earlier, had stated that Pakistan’s Haj policy was announced on November 27, 2024, with public sector applications beginning the next day and continuing until March 25.

However, the private sector was only allowed to start collecting applications from January 14, even though the Saudi system’s deadline was February 21.

To a question, the minister said that the ministry is ensuring to extend every possible facilities to intending Haj pilgrim in Saudi Arabia. He said the company not providing standard meal would be blacklisted.

He said that it would also be looked into as to how a blacklisted Saudi company was awarded the contract. He said the last pre-Haj flight will depart for Jeddah on May 31.