After obtaining an additional Hajj quota, the Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, said on Sunday that the government actively made efforts to send the maximum number of pilgrims to fulfill the sacred religious obligation.
His declaration occurred a few days after the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Interfis Harmony announced that a total of 23,620 pilgrims in Pakistan could make Hajj in 2025 as part of the Hajj private program, while the fate of 67,000 remaining pilgrims is suspended in balance.
Speaking on Geo News “Naya Pakistan” program today, the Minister of Religious Affairs said that an additional 10,000 Pakistani were authorized to do the private pilgrimage.
Last week, Saudi Arabia granted an additional Hajj quota to Pakistan, allowing 10,000 additional pilgrims to make the HAJJ this year following a request from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs ISHAQ DAR.
Taking his handle X, DPM DAR expressed his gratitude to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom, Prince Faire Bin Farhan Al-Saud for having granted the quota of the additional hajj.
The Minister said: “We are trying to allow as much of 179,210 requests as possible to make the Hajj. In addition, 50% go within the framework of the government regime, and their arrangements are completed.”
By giving details, the minister said that he had visited the kingdom and held a meeting with his Saudi counterpart to discuss questions related to Hajj.
“We asked that they (the government of Saudi Arabia) extend the deadline so that our pilgrims are not left behind,” he added.
Answering a question, the minister said: “This did not only occur in Pakistan, this happens elsewhere. In India, there are 52,000 pilgrims who want to perform the Hajj.”
When asked if the government would reimburse those who could not go to the kingdom, the minister said: “According to our Hajj policy, there are agreements with the tour operators under which the procedure (for the Hajj’s reservation) took place.”
“If the money has entered the system within the framework of this procedure, it is registered. It is their right to reimburse if they are unable to perform the pilgrimage.”