The federal government of Pakistan has approved a new private Hajj policy for the years 2027-2030.
The government has introduced new regulations and conditions for Hajj operators.
The officials said that the policy aims to make the private Hajj system more transparent, efficient, and beneficial for pilgrims.
According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the new policy replaces the traditional quota allocation system with a framework based on performance and compliance with regulations.
All existing Hajj operators will also undergo a mandatory re-evaluation process to ensure that only qualified companies providing quality services participate in Hajj operations.
Under the policy, private Hajj quotas will be allocated on a “first-come, first-served” basis. Each Hajj operator will be required to secure bookings for a minimum of 2,000 pilgrims.
Companies failing to meet the required number may be declared inactive. The policy also includes provisions for the partial forfeiture of security deposits from non-performing companies and the transfer of affected pilgrims to other operators.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs said all Hajj companies will be independently evaluated and ranked by experts, while licences will be issued for a period of three years.
The policy also introduces strict measures against quota trading, cartelisation, and monopolistic practices within the private Hajj sector.
Private Hajj operations will be fully digitised under the new framework.
Pilgrims will be able to make bookings exclusively through the Private Hajj Management Portal, which will be integrated with NADRA and the State Bank of Pakistan.
Officials have clarified that manual bookings and cash transactions will be prohibited. Hajj companies will not be allowed to hold pilgrims’ funds, while payments related to Hajj services in Saudi Arabia will be made directly to service providers.
All transactions will be processed through an official State Bank account.
According to the ministry, Pakistan’s new private Hajj system is being aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative to provide pilgrims with improved facilities, greater transparency, and a more modern service delivery mechanism.
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