Latest news with #SardarMuhammadYousaf
Arab News
5 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan to start receiving Hajj 2026 applications today
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will begin on Monday the process of receiving applications for Hajj 2026 under the government scheme, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday. Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims. Of this, 129,210 seats have been allocated for the government scheme and the rest for private tour operators, Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf announced on July 30. Under the government Hajj scheme, pilgrims can avail either a long Hajj package of 38–42 days or a short package that consists of a duration of 20–25 days, with the estimated cost of the government's Hajj package ranging from Rs1,150,000 to Rs1,250,000 [$4,049.93 to $4,236]. 'Hajj applications can be submitted through designated banks and online portal,' the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported, citing Religious Affairs Ministry spokesman Muhammad Umar Butt. 'Fresh applicants may apply from 11th to 16th of this month if seats remain available.' Individuals, registered on a first come, first served basis, can deposit the first installment of their Hajj dues by Saturday, August 9, according to the report. The second installment will be collected from November this year. 'Receipt of Hajj dues will immediately be stopped once all the seats are filled,' Butt said. Saudi Arabia had approved a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Pakistan this year as well, but a large portion of the private Hajj quota for 2025 remained unutilized due to delays by tour operators in meeting payment and registration deadlines, while the government fulfilled its full allocation of over 88,000 pilgrims. Private operators attributed the shortfall to technical issues, including payment processing problems and communication breakdowns.
Arab News
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan approves Hajj Policy 2026, will receive applications from Aug. 4
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf announced on Wednesday that the federal cabinet has approved the country's Hajj Policy 2026, with Islamabad set to receive applications for the pilgrimage under the government scheme from Aug. 4. Speaking to reporters at a news conference, Yousaf said currently the quota for Pakistani pilgrims is 179,210. However, he said a response from the Saudi government is awaited in this regard. He said out of the total pilgrims' quota, 129,210 seats have been allocated for the government scheme and the rest for private tour operators. 'Today, by the grace of Allah, the federal cabinet has approved the Hajj Policy 2026,' Yousaf said. 'We will start to receive Hajj applications under the government scheme from the first week of August, from the fourth.' Yousaf pointed out that under the government Hajj scheme, pilgrims can avail either a long Hajj package of 38–42 days or a short package that consists of a duration of 20–25 days. He said Hajj applicants must be Muslim Pakistani passport holders, with a passport valid until Nov. 26, 2026. 'Children under 12 will not be allowed to perform Hajj this year,' the minister said. He said as per the government scheme, Hajj applicants must submit their Hajj dues in two installments. Yousaf said the estimated cost of the government's Hajj package will range from Rs1,150,000 to Rs1,250,000 [$4,049.93 to $4,236], subject to final agreements with service providers. He said the first installment payment will be accepted at designated banks across Pakistan from Aug. 4. 'Due to Saudi Arabia's timelines, selection will be on a first-come, first-serve basis,' Yousaf clarified. Receiving a Saudi-approved vaccine is mandatory for all intending pilgrims, the minister said, adding that Makkah Route Initiative facilities will continue to be provided to pilgrims at Pakistan's Islamabad and Karachi airports. Yousaf said a monitoring team from Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs will oversee the overall Hajj operations to maintain the quality of services. Saudi Arabia had approved a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Pakistan this year as well. A large portion of the private Hajj quota for 2025 remained unutilized due to delays by tour operators in meeting payment and registration deadlines, while the government fulfilled its full allocation of over 88,000 pilgrims. Private operators attributed the shortfall to technical issues, including payment processing problems and communication breakdowns.
Arab News
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan to tighten pilgrimage travel to Iraq, Iran and Syria after 40,000 go ‘missing'
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan plans to overhaul its pilgrimage travel policy to Iraq, Iran and Syria after authorities confirmed that around 40,000 Pakistani pilgrims went missing or overstayed in the three countries over the past decade, raising serious diplomatic and security concerns, a senior immigration official said. Each year, thousands of Pakistani Shia pilgrims travel to regional religious shrines, but host governments have repeatedly flagged the issue of undocumented or unreturned visitors. The problem resurfaced this week after Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf revealed that 40,000 Pakistani pilgrims had either overstayed or gone missing in these countries without any official record of their whereabouts. In response, authorities have scrapped the long-standing 'Salar system,' in which private group leaders managed travel logistics, and are introducing a new centralized, computerized structure to track and regulate pilgrim movement more effectively. 'Approximately 40,000 of the pilgrims who went on pilgrimage in Iraq, Iran, and Syria never returned during the last almost one decade,' Mustafa Jamal Kazi, Director General of Immigration and Passports, told Arab News. He said most of the disappearances occurred in Iraq and that Pakistani authorities had formally requested details from the Iraqi government. Once confirmed, passports of the missing individuals will be digitally and physically blocked, and they will be placed on the border control list. 'Last year, 50 such individuals were deported from Iraq, and we have taken further action against them,' Kazi said. He added that the lure of employment in Iraq's booming construction sector, bonded labor involving women, and the exploitation of religious tourism for begging were among the most common motives for absconding. To curb the trend, a new Ziyarat Management Policy has been finalized, after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi discussed the plan during a recent pilgrimage coordination meeting in Iran. Under the new policy, pilgrims will only be allowed to travel in organized groups, and licensed tour operators will be held directly responsible for ensuring that all group members return to Pakistan before their visas expire. Any operator found violating the policy or failing to ensure the return of all pilgrims will have their license canceled. Only tour operators that meet new regulatory standards will be registered as Ziyarat Group Organizers (ZGOs), according to the religious affairs ministry, which said the new system would fully replace the traditional, unregulated Qafila Salar model. 'Due to the lack of proper data regarding the number of pilgrims, travel schedules, and their return after completing the pilgrimage, various concerns have been raised by host countries and relevant institutions,' the religious ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The new registration process, approved by the federal cabinet, will enable more effective monitoring of pilgrimage traffic and prevent individuals from using religious travel as a cover for illegal migration or unauthorized cross-border movement. The ministry said all pilgrimages would now be conducted under a structured system led by government-registered Ziyarat Group Organizers (ZGOs), which would also 'help curb illegal stays in host countries or any attempts to cross into neighboring countries under the guise of religious pilgrimage.'
Arab News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan to register tour operators to streamline pilgrimages to Iran, Iraq
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government is introducing a new, centralized system for organizing pilgrimages to holy sites in Iran and Iraq that would require interested parties to register as tour operators, the Pakistani religious affairs minister announced on Tuesday, a day after a trination meeting in Tehran between interior ministers from the three countries. Islamabad had requested for the tri-nation conference to discuss issues relating to thousands of Pakistani Shiite Muslims, who travel annually to holy sites in Iran, Iraq and Syria. Pakistan previously had no formal structure for people to travel to Iran and Iraq for religious purposes. Although a system was approved in 2021 to organize these pilgrimages, but little progress was made on its implementation. Pakistan's Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf clarified that managing the affairs of Shiite zaireen (pilgrims), like Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, falls under the purview of his ministry. 'The existing, outdated system will soon be phased out and companies interested in organizing pilgrimages [to Iran, Iraq and Syria] must register with the ministry immediately,' he was quoted as saying by the religious affairs ministry. The announcement follows a statement from Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, following the tri-nation meeting in Tehran, saying that Pakistani Shiite pilgrims would not be able to individually travel for religious pilgrimages from Jan. 1 next year. Some Pakistanis traveling individually to these countries were found to be overstaying their visas or working in the host countries, according to the interior minister. Religious Affairs Minister Yousaf noted that around 40,000 Pakistani pilgrims had remained in Iraq, Syria and Iran in recent years and authorities in the three countries had raised their concerns with Pakistan, underlining the need for a formal and accountable structure. 'If the government had a proper record, we would know where each pilgrim went,' he said, adding that Naqvi and Religious Affairs Secretary Dr. Syed Ata-ur-Rehman are currently in Iran to integrate the pilgrimage process into a modern, computerized tracking system. Last month, Pakistan evacuated over 260 nationals from Iraq and another 450 Pakistanis who had been stranded in Iran during the Tehran-Israeli conflict, according to the country's foreign ministry. There was no confirmation of the number of evacuees who had traveled legally and those who had been staying in the two countries illegally. Yousaf said Pakistan's federal cabinet has approved a new framework for Zaireen Group Organizers (ZGOs), and accordingly, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has issued a public notice for interested parties to register as ZGOs. Of the 1,400 applicants, 585 companies cleared the security vetting process and have been instructed to complete their online registration through the religious affairs ministry's website and submit required documents by July 31, according to the minister. Companies wishing to work as ZGOs can apply for registration till Aug. 10. 'Just as Hajj pilgrims travel through licensed Hajj tour operators, Zaireen will also travel only through registered ZGOs,' Yousaf said, adding that ZGOs will also be required to provide travel cost packages for pilgrims like Hajj tour organizers.
Express Tribune
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Govt plans to expand Hajj quota
The federal government is finalising a new Hajj policy that will request an expanded quota of 255,000 pilgrims for Pakistan next year, up from this year's 189,000. The policy, which is being prepared in consultation with stakeholders and will soon be tabled before the cabinet, also aims to explore the resumption of Hajj travel by sea and extend Saudi Arabia's "Road to Makkah" immigration facility to more Pakistani airports. The developments were shared during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Religious Affairs on Monday. The panel met under the chairmanship of Malik Amir Dogar at the Parliament House, where Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf gave a comprehensive briefing on this year's Hajj arrangements. He said this year's pilgrimage was "one of the most successful in recent memory", adding that the Saudi government and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had congratulated the Pakistani authorities for the well-executed operations. "For the first time, Pakistan received an 'Excellence Award' from the Saudi government for its outstanding Hajj management," he told the committee. He added that Pakistani pilgrims were provided with air-conditioned facilities at key ritual sites including Arafat. Yousaf said a new Hajj policy is being formulated under the instructions of the prime minister and in line with Saudi guidelines, and would soon be presented before the federal cabinet. Members of the committee were invited to share suggestions for the new policy. He added that the Saudi authorities had already issued their updated Hajj policy on 12th Dhul Hijjah. Regarding registration for Hajj 2025, the minister revealed that over 455,000 people had already signed up. "Pakistan's previous quota was 189,000 pilgrims. Next year, we hope to receive an expanded quota of 255,000, for which we've submitted a request to the Saudi authorities," he added. The committee also discussed reducing Hajj costs by offering installment-based payment options, resuming travel by sea routes and limiting the use of luxury accommodations. Without mahram During the session, the committee also discussed the Saudi government's recent policy allowing women to perform Hajj and Umrah without a mahram (male guardian). While the minister confirmed that no Pakistani pilgrims were assigned to any Indian company - clarifying that a firm named "Asia Bhart" was mistaken for an Indian entity due to its name - a member raised religious concerns. The committee subsequently decided to seek the opinion of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on the permissibility of women travelling without a mahram for pilgrimage under Islamic teachings.
