Pakistan has formally requested the Saudi government to increase its Hajj quota to 230,000, in line with the country’s growing population, to enable more citizens to perform the annual pilgrimage.
Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf announced this while speaking to the media on Wednesday. He expressed confidence that Pakistan’s quota would rise significantly following increases granted to other countries.
The minister said that under the ‘Road to Makkah’ project, more than 38,000 pilgrims will travel from Islamabad this year. He added that the government is making efforts to extend the facility to Lahore, while it currently operates only in Islamabad and Karachi.
Addressing a Hajj training session earlier, Sardar Yousaf said Saudi Arabia has allocated a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2026. Out of these, around 118,000 seats have been reserved under the government scheme, while the remaining seats will be handled by private tour operators.
He said the ministry has made Hajj training programs mandatory to ensure pilgrims understand rituals and administrative procedures. The first phase of training will continue nationwide until February.
The minister revealed that more than 450,000 applications were received for Hajj registration this year, reflecting growing public confidence in government arrangements.
Sardar Yousaf assured that he would personally remain present in Saudi Arabia during Hajj to address pilgrims’ complaints and ensure smooth arrangements. He also said the ministry has prepared 22 guiding principles to facilitate pilgrims in performing Hajj rituals with ease.
