The journey of 67,000 Pakistanis intending to perform Hajj through private operators is now at risk due to missing the Saudi Arabia’s visa deadline.
The Saudi deadline for issuing visas was set for April 18, but private Hajj operators are blaming the delay on the malfunctioning of Saudi Arabia’s online system. They claim to have sent the payments before the deadline, but the system crashed shortly after.
Read more: Only 23,600 Pakistanis to Be Permitted for Hajj 2025: Ministry
In light of this issue, the Pakistan Ulema Council has appealed to the Prime Minister to intervene and ask the Saudi government for special consideration. While the Ministry of Religious Affairs has stated that the private operators are responsible for the delay, the Ulema Council and operators are urging for special relief to assist those affected.
For the 2025 Hajj season, Pakistan’s quota was set at 179,210 pilgrims, with half of the quota assigned to private operators. However, due to the issue with the system, only 23,000 pilgrims could go under private arrangements.
The Hajj Operators Association maintains that their payments were made in February, but a system glitch prevented further processing. Meanwhile, Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi, head of the Ulema Council, believes the responsibility lies with the private operators and Pakistan’s failure to communicate the final date clearly.
He has also called for an investigation to avoid such setbacks in the future and to ensure that the pilgrims’ efforts and savings are not in vain.
