HYDERABAD: President Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders & Small Industry (HCSTSI), Muhammad Saleem Memon, has expressed grave concern over the abrupt cancellation of 67,000 Hajj applications allocated to private Hajj operators by the Government of Pakistan. He stated that this unexpected move has seriously affected those private operators who had made timely preparations, invested substantial resources and entered into formal agreements with the pilgrims.
The HCSTSI president stated that according to statistics shared by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had allocated a total of 179,210 Hajj quota to Pakistan for the year 2025. Of this, 89,605 were designated for the private sector. However, under the revised policy set by the Saudi authorities, only those operators with the capacity to facilitate at least 2,000 pilgrims were deemed eligible. As a result of this stringent criterion, only 46 companies out of 904 registered private Hajj operators in Pakistan qualified, while the remaining operators were rendered ineligible, leading to the loss of approximately 67,000 Hajj applications.
He further remarked that this policy shift has not only led to substantial financial loss but has also shaken public trust and jeopardized the livelihoods of thousands employed in the private Hajj sector. At a time when Pakistan’s economy is already under immense pressure, excluding private operators from the process could trigger a new wave of crisis and unemployment.
He urged the government to immediately restore the cancelled quota and introduce a phased distribution mechanism that includes small operators, ensuring equal opportunity and a level playing field for all. He proposed that the government formulate a revised, balanced and transparent Hajj policy in consultation with all registered private Hajj operators, taking into account the practical ground realities.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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