Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has called for “practical suggestions” from stakeholders to help formulate the policy for Hajj 2025, as announced on Monday. This request came during a meeting of ministry officials reviewing the arrangements made for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.
The participants of the meeting noted that the official Hajj scheme provided “excellent” accommodation, intercity transport, food, and services to the pilgrims, according to the ministry’s statement. Religious Affairs Secretary Zulfiqar Haider emphasized the importance of preparing and submitting practical suggestions to the Hajj department for further improvements in the government scheme based on the experiences from the last Hajj.
Pakistan successfully completed its post-Hajj 2024 operations on July 21. The annual Islamic pilgrimage took place from June 14 to June 19, drawing millions of pilgrims from around the globe. Out of Pakistan’s total quota of 179,210 pilgrims, approximately 160,000 participated in this year’s Hajj through both the government scheme and private tour operators, as reported by the ministry.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) also concluded its post-Hajj operations on July 21. According to a statement from the airline, 143 flights were operated, including 61 to Jeddah and 82 to Madinah. In total, 34,663 pilgrims returned home after performing the rituals, with 19,278 traveling under the government scheme and 14,754 through private tour operators.
