System errors may make 67,000 pilgrims miss Hajj

Almost 67,000 aspiring Pakistani pilgrims are at risk of losing their opportunity to perform Hajj allegedly due to system errors that delayed the processing of Hajj applications and the Saudi online portal closed on its deadline.

The Hajj Organisers Association of Pakistan (HOAP) has appealed to the president, prime minister, and army chief to engage with the Saudi government to seek permission for the affected pilgrims.

During a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, the Media Coordinator of the HOAP, Muhammad Saeed, requested the government to intervene in order to sort out the issue.

He stated that, Pakistan’s total Hajj quota is 179,210, which is divided equally between the public and private sectors (50 per cent each). So far, only 23,000 applications have been confirmed, while 67,000 remain unconfirmed, of which 13,000 applicants have been excluded from the system.

He noted that until 2024, extension had been granted in Saudi timeline for submission of applications, but this year, no such extension has been made in the deadline so far.

Chairman of the Association, Zaeem Akhtar Siddiqui, added that the Government of Pakistan announced it’s Hajj policy on November 27, 2024. Under this policy, the Ministry of Religious Affairs started accepting installment-based applications only for the government Hajj scheme from November 28 to March 25, in multiple phases.

He further explained that on January 14, the ministry officially allowed the private sector to start receiving Hajj applications. Partial approvals for private Hajj packages were granted on January 8, and after addressing deficiencies, they were finalised by March 18. However, the Saudi system’s deadline was February 21, after which it was closed.