ISLAMABAD: The federal government is working on a new Hajj policy under which it plans to request Saudi Arabia to increase Pakistan’s pilgrim quota to 255,000 for next year, a significant jump from this year’s allocation of 189,000.
This was revealed during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Religious Affairs, chaired by Malik Amir Dogar, held at Parliament House on Monday. Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, briefed the committee on this year’s Hajj arrangements and upcoming reforms.
He termed this year’s Hajj as “one of the most successful in recent history,” adding that both the Saudi government and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had lauded Pakistan’s management. “For the first time, Pakistan received an ‘Excellence Award’ from Saudi Arabia for its outstanding arrangements,” he informed the committee, highlighting that Pakistani pilgrims were provided air-conditioned facilities at key ritual sites, including Arafat.
The minister said that a new Hajj policy was being finalised in consultation with all stakeholders, as per the prime minister’s directives, and would soon be presented before the cabinet for approval. He invited committee members to share their suggestions to ensure an inclusive policy.
He also noted that Saudi Arabia had issued its updated Hajj policy on the 12th of Dhul Hijjah, and registration for Hajj 2025 had already seen an overwhelming response, with over 455,000 people signing up so far. “We have formally requested the Saudi authorities to increase Pakistan’s quota to 255,000 for next year,” he added.
Among other reforms, the government is considering the revival of Hajj travel by sea to reduce costs, along with the extension of Saudi Arabia’s “Road to Makkah” pre-clearance immigration facility to more Pakistani airports to ease travel for pilgrims. The possibility of introducing installment-based payment options for pilgrims was also discussed to make the pilgrimage more financially accessible.
Women Performing Hajj Without Mahram
The committee also deliberated upon the Saudi government’s recent decision allowing women to perform Hajj and Umrah without a mahram (male guardian). While the minister clarified that no Pakistani pilgrims had been assigned to any Indian company – explaining that a firm named “Asia Bhart” was mistakenly thought to be Indian due to its name – religious concerns were raised by some members regarding women travelling alone.
In view of this, the committee decided to seek guidance from the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on the permissibility of women performing pilgrimage without a mahram under Islamic teachings, before finalising any related policies.
