Pakistan Achieves Full Hajj Quota, Wins Four Saudi Awards in Major Milestone

MADINAH (APP): Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, announced that Pakistan has successfully utilized its full Hajj quota of 180,000 pilgrims for 2026.

Attributing this achievement to the Ministry’s exceptional performance and rigorous oversight of the private sector, the Minister noted that Pakistan has received four prestigious international awards from the Saudi government, including the distinguished ‘Labbaykum’ award.

During his visit to the Pakistan Hajj Mission’s Madinah Coordination Office (MCO), he emphasized that both government and private entities have provided exemplary services to ensure the comfort and well-being of the pilgrims.

The Minister’s visit included a comprehensive briefing from Director of Madinah, Zahid Sohail, regarding the mission’s operational infrastructure. The inspection checked out key facilities like the main clinic and special support areas, including Complaint, Early Departure, Lost and Found, Digital Induction, and IT cells. After reviewing the pre-Hajj and post-Hajj plans in detail, the Minister expressed high satisfaction and highlighted the positive feedback received from pilgrims. He praised Director Zahid Sohail’s team for their hard work and said they'd get certificates of appreciation as a reward.

Also Read: Saudi Arabia Completes Hajj 2026 Preparations With 22,000 Staff

This year's Hajj was a big success, according to the Minister. Over 46,000 pilgrims came to Madinah starting April 14. Thanks to smart digital tracking and great planning, all pilgrims visited Riaz-ul-Jannah without issues.

He pointed out that the Ministry made sure vulnerable pilgrims were comfy by putting them in the 'Markaziya' zone, near Masjid-e-Nabawi. The Minister also said the Hajj went well thanks to the training pilgrims got in Pakistan. This prepared them for the strict routine when they got to the Kingdom.

The Minister announced the start of the second big phase of the post-Hajj operation – moving 72,271 pilgrims from Makkah to Madinah. Over 5,000 have already gotten there. They can now visit Roza-e-Rasool (PBUH) and pray at Riaz-ul-Jannah, as everything's running smoothly for their visits.

The Minister assured that the mission has finalized the scheduling for the pilgrims’ direct return to Pakistan, with staff deployed on the ground to ensure the remainder of the journey is as efficient and comfortable as possible.