Why only 23,620 pilgrims will be able to benefit from the private Hajj scheme this Year? The Ministry of Religious Affairs reveals.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has announced that only 23,620 Pakistani pilgrims will be allowed to perform Hajj this year under the private Hajj scheme, according to a notification issued on Thursday. This decision comes despite Pakistan’s total Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims, which was confirmed through an agreement signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in January. Each year, millions of Muslims from around the world travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj, with Pakistan traditionally receiving one of the largest quotas for the pilgrimage.

Of the total allotment, around 90,000 pilgrims are set to perform Hajj under the government scheme, as reported by Radio Pakistan on April 6. The newly issued notification outlines that the list of registered service providers associated with the private Hajj scheme for 2025 has been made available on the official website of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, as well as on the Pak Hajj App. Pilgrims who have completed billing procedures with these approved service providers can now verify the status of their application and contract via the ministry’s website.

Service providers have been directed to ensure all pilgrims receive updated Hajj forms and to expedite visa processing, which must be completed by April 18, as per instructions from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. A separate notification from the ministry includes additional details about the logistical arrangements and health requirements for the pilgrimage. It outlines mandatory vaccinations for all pilgrims and the establishment of temporary Hajj camps across the country to facilitate the process.

These camps will be set up in cities including Hyderabad, Sialkot, Faisalabad, and Rahim Yar Khan, and will operate on specific dates that will be announced through the Hajj Mobile App. Two days prior to departure, pilgrims will receive their Hajj visa, airline ticket, identity locket, identity data sheet to be attached to luggage, and a free Zong SIM for use in Saudi Arabia—all from their designated Hajj camp.