Over 67,000 Pakistanis at Risk of Missing Hajj 2025 Due to Delays, Mismanagement

Around 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims may miss Hajj 2025 due to administrative delays and poor coordination by private tour operators, according to official sources.

The situation has also resulted in a financial setback, with over PKR 36 billion—collected from intending pilgrims—now stuck in Saudi Arabia. Reports suggest that the Saudi authorities are unwilling to issue refunds and are instead offering to carry the payments forward to the next year’s Hajj.

Sources explained that Pakistan’s Hajj Policy 2025 was approved too late, leaving private operators with little time to complete applications and make necessary arrangements. Although funds were sent to Saudi Arabia, there was not enough time for proper coordination with Saudi Hajj officials, which led to incomplete preparations.

Officials also blamed a lack of timely communication between Pakistani authorities and the Saudi government, which further deepened the crisis.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs confirmed that some private companies had obtained stay orders from the courts, halting the allocation of Hajj quotas to private operators and contributing to the ongoing uncertainty.