ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Haj Organisers Association has disclosed that approximately Rs199.67 billion—equivalent to 2.67 billion Saudi riyals—has been transferred from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia for facilitating this year’s Haj pilgrims, raising questions about the government’s role and delays in processing private pilgrim arrangements.
At a press conference held Monday, association leader Mohammad Kamran Zeb revealed that nearly 67,000 pilgrims, including a significant portion of overseas Pakistanis, were facing mounting difficulties despite having already paid for their pilgrimage.
“These pilgrims deposited their funds with Haj operators, and we have sent all of it,” Zeb said. He broke down the financial details, stating that Rs22.5 billion was paid for air tickets, Rs220 million in advance tax to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and Rs1.58 billion to the Ministry of Religious Affairs as service charges—Rs17,000 per pilgrim.
Zeb also pointed out that about 30% of the pilgrims were overseas Pakistanis, and their contributions were included in the total amount remitted. He appealed to both the Pakistani and Saudi governments to step in and resolve the difficulties being faced by pilgrims and Haj organisers.
He questioned why such large sums were transferred to Saudi Arabia if the February 14 deadline set by the Saudi authorities for Haj arrangements had already passed. Criticising the government’s handling of the process, Zeb noted that the Ministry of Religious Affairs began processing applications as early as November but imposed restrictions on private Haj organisers, leading to a delay that placed pilgrims at risk.
“All the money has already been sent. These are not just numbers—they represent thousands of people who now stand uncertain about their pilgrimage,” he said, accusing authorities of mismanagement and lack of transparency.
Responding to the growing concerns, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf on Sunday acknowledged the ongoing challenges. Speaking to a private television channel, Yousaf stated that the government was “actively trying” to facilitate as many pilgrims as possible this year.
Of the 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims expected to perform Haj in 2025, the minister said 50% were enrolled under the government scheme, with all arrangements for them complete. The rest, he noted, were to travel under private arrangements, many of which have faced procedural bottlenecks.
“With the Prime Minister’s permission, I went to Saudi Arabia and met with their Haj Minister,” Yousaf shared. “We had agreed on all arrangements in a meeting back in December, and a timeline had been established. We requested them to extend the deadline so that our pilgrims are not left behind.”
Yousaf also said that following intervention from Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who contacted his Saudi counterpart, an additional 10,000 Pakistanis were permitted to perform Haj privately—offering some relief to organisers and pilgrims left in limbo.
The ongoing situation underscores the complexities of the Haj process in Pakistan, especially under shifting regulatory frameworks and foreign coordination, and raises renewed calls for transparency, reform, and better support for private pilgrims.
