THE announcement by Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf that only 25,698 Pakistani pilgrims will be able to perform Hajj under the private scheme this year is deeply troubling.
With Saudi Arabia allotting Pakistan a generous Hajj quota of 179,210 for 2025—traditionally split evenly between the government and private sectors—the drastic reduction in the private sector’s share from 89,801 to just over 25,000 is nothing short of a colossal failure.
This unacceptable situation left over 67,000 prospective pilgrims—many of whom had been preparing spiritually, financially and emotionally for years—stranded due to the negligence and mismanagement of private Hajj operators.
The root cause of this crisis lies in the failure of these operators to meet the procedural requirements and booking deadlines set by Saudi authorities.
Furthermore, the fact that many payments were made to unregistered operators further compounded the problem.
The Minister for Religious Affairs rightly noted that although 904 private Hajj operators were officially registered, many pilgrims ignored government guidelines and entrusted their life savings to unverified agents.
This lapse—both by pilgrims and operators—points to a glaring absence of awareness and regulatory enforcement.
The formation of an investigative committee by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is a welcome step.
However, it must not become yet another symbolic exercise.
The investigation should be thorough, transparent and lead to concrete action.
Operators who failed in their obligations should face strict penalties.
For years, there have been discussions about gradually transferring the entire Hajj operation to the private sector.
This latest episode should serve as a sobering reminder of the dangers of such a move.
Until a robust and foolproof system of accountability is in place, the government must retain control over a major portion of the Hajj operation to safeguard the interests of the pilgrims.
Moreover, the Ministry of Religious Affairs must launch aggressive awareness campaigns to educate the public on dealing only with verified Hajj operators.
The poor management seen in Hajj services often extends to Umrah pilgrims as well, who continue to suffer at the hands of unscrupulous operators even in the holy land.
This pattern cannot be allowed to continue.
The Ministry must keep a strict and ongoing watch over all Hajj operators and the licenses of those who falter in their duties must be revoked.
