ISLAMABAD: For the third time, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has extended the deadline for receipt of Hajj applications under the government scheme due to an insufficient response against its allocated quota.
Saudi Arabia has allocated 179,210 pilgrim quotas to Pakistan for Hajj 2025 with 89,605 quotas for both the government and private schemes.
Although the government set a deadline for December 3, then extended this first to December 10 and finally to December 17, it’s still 5,000 slots off of its target, and the Ministry has decided to accept further applications on a first-come-first served basis.
According to Omar Butt, spokesman for the Ministry of Religious Affairs, financial constraints are a big reason why the government is not able to send its quota.
He also said people from remote areas face challenges in sending applications and all the other Islamic countries like India and Bangladesh also face similar problems. On the division of private tour operators and the government, Butt clarified that all are bound to follow the set guidelines of the Saudi government.
Moreover, he said, the government is in discussion with private operators and is hopeful for the resolution of the issues.
However, Butt also drew attention to the Hajj training which is necessary for all intending pilgrims. The purpose of the training is to make the pilgrims aware of the rituals of Hajj and the rules and regulations of the Saudi government.
The first session of the training will start from January 18 to February 26 while the second session will be conducted after Ramazan. This is necessary to be done to ensure a smooth and successful Hajj.
