Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken serious notice of the crisis surrounding 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims who are at risk of missing Hajj 2025 due to delays in finalising agreements and payments to the Saudi authorities.
Chairing a high-level meeting to address the issue, the prime minister directed officials to reach out to Saudi authorities and request special facilitation for the affected pilgrims under the private Hajj quota.
He assured the concerned delegation that all efforts would be made to ensure their travel to the holy sites.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, members of the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs, and representatives of the Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP).
PM Shehbaz expressed his disappointment over the handling of the matter and termed it a matter of national embarrassment. He said the government would not leave any stone unturned in resolving the issue and would pursue the case directly with the Saudi government.
The HOAP delegation briefed the premier on the ongoing crisis and appealed for his immediate intervention to avoid the exclusion of thousands of pilgrims.