The Government has decided to return over 21,000 Hajj quota allocations back to Saudi Arabia under the official Haj scheme. According to media reports, this decision comes as a major disappointment for the 5,633 unsuccessful applicants who were hoping to perform the pilgrimage this year through the government-sponsored program. The quota for government-sponsored Hajj pilgrims stood at 25,000, but only 4,000 applications were received, falling significantly short of the allocated slots. This under-subscription prompted the government to return the unfilled seats to Saudi Arabia, rather than accommodating the waitlisted applicants from the regular Hajj scheme draw. While the official reason for under-subscription in the government scheme is unclear, some speculate that it might be due to increased costs associated with the pilgrimage, including travel and accommodation expenses. Additionally, the ongoing economic situation in Pakistan might have discouraged potential applicants from committing to the financial burden of Hajj. The regular Hajj scheme, however, saw a high number of applications. With 69,438 applications received and only 63,805 pilgrims selected through the lottery, nearly 6,000 applicants remain waitlisted. These individuals stand a chance of performing Hajj if any allocated seats become available from other categories or through cancellations.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)