Thousands of Miss Hajj as a minister accuse private tour operators for scandal

The Federal Minister of Religious Affairs, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, has private Hajj travel operators for a large scandal who left 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims who are unable to carry out Hajj this year.

In the press conference, the minister stated that many private tour operators despite the commitment of the government to make pilgrims easier, the deadline of February 14, 2025 would not have met in order to submit the necessary funds into the Saudi Arabia accounting system.

The Pakistani Hajj quota for 2025 was set to 179,000 and divided between the government and the private sector equally. While 25,698 pilgrims will continue with their journey as part of the private Hajj program, the failure of transferring the means of transferring punctually, tens of thousands of their chance of performing Hajj.

“The negligence of private operators caused immense stress,” said the minister. Although the Saudi authorities extended the deadline, only 10,000 additional payments were submitted, with far behind the required number.

To solve the problem, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has formed an committee of inquiry to examine the matter and identify those responsible. The government has promised strict measures against individuals and companies that are involved in the abuse of funds and operations.

Pilgrims that have been transferred to their funds as part of the private program but could not proceed will either be reimbursed immediately or adapted their payments for the Hajj of the next year, the ministry confirmed.

The scandal has highlighted the urgent need for improved regulation and monitoring of private Hajj operators to protect the rights of Pakistani pilgrims.