PM to seek Saudi help for Hajj 2025 crisis affecting 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims
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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said Saudi authorities would be approached to facilitate around 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims whose participation in Hajj 2025 is in jeopardy due to delays in finalising agreements and payments.
Chairing a high-level meeting on the issue on Friday, the prime minister expressed deep concern over the crisis and directed authorities to make every possible effort to ensure the pilgrims' journey to the holy sites.
He assured the delegation present that he would personally raise the matter with Saudi officials to secure approval for the affected pilgrims under the private quota.
'This is a matter of shame for us,' he said, calling for swift and decisive action. 'We must do everything in our power to resolve this issue and avoid denying thousands of people the chance to fulfil a sacred obligation,' he added.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, members of the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs, and representatives from the Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP).
The delegation briefed the prime minister on the crisis and appealed for his intervention to secure the necessary approvals for the pilgrims.
Earlier, Secretary of Religious Affairs Dr Attaur Rehman told the Senate that the fate of the 67,000 pilgrims was no longer in the government's hands, citing new policy changes introduced by Saudi Arabia.
According to the secretary, Riyadh has now mandated that only Hajj group organisers with quotas of 2,000 or more will be allowed to operate. As a result, 904 existing organisers have been merged into 45 larger Hajj companies.
The policy shift has complicated preparations and caused delays in payments and administrative coordination, leaving thousands of pilgrims at risk of being unable to perform Hajj in 2025.
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