ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a three-member inquiry committee to investigate why Pakistan had failed to utilize the private Hajj 2025 quota by not complying with certain requirements of the Kingdom’s Hajj policy, a notification by the Cabinet Division said on Thursday.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Hajj Agreement 2025 in January, according to which 179,210 Pakistanis were expected to perform the annual pilgrimage this year. The quota was divided equally between government and private schemes.
However, the South Asian country failed to fully avail the private Hajj quota and the inquiry committee, led by the Cabinet Division secretary, would investigate the reasons behind the lapse. The probe panel also includes the chairman of Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Gilgit-Baltistan chief secretary.
“The Prime Minister, while taking serious notice for non-availing of the private Hajj quota for Hajj-2025 due to non-compliance of the requirements of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has been pleased to constitute an inquiry committee on ‘Hajj Arrangements,’” the notification said, without specifying the number of private Hajj scheme seats that could not be filled.
It said the committee’s terms of reference would include inquiring why Saudi Arabia’s Hajj policy, revised in 2025, was not implemented by Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony through private Hajj operators.
The notification said the committee would also probe the ministry’s efforts to get the pre-requisite formalities completed by private Hajj operators by the target date set by the Kingdom.
The committee would also “fix the responsibility for this serious lapse, depriving thousands of Pakistani pilgrims from Hajj 2025,” it added.
Speaking to a private news channel, Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Tahir Ashrafi praised Sharif’s move, describing it as a “step in the right direction.”
“Due to this, matters related to private Hajj pilgrims will improve in future and the current situation will also come to light, as to what happened and why did the delay take place,” Ashrafi told Express News.
In January, the Pakistani prime minister had chaired a meeting to review Hajj 2025 preparations, during which he had warned officials the government would not tolerate any negligence in their duties related to the annual pilgrimage.
PM Sharif forms committee to probe Pakistan’s failure to utilize Hajj 2025 private quota
https://arab.news/ctuf4
PM Sharif forms committee to probe Pakistan’s failure to utilize Hajj 2025 private quota
- Committee to probe why Kingdom’s Hajj policy was not implemented by Pakistan’s religion ministry through private Hajj operators
- Inquiry committee would also ‘fix the responsibility for this serious lapse, depriving thousands of Pakistani pilgrims from Hajj 2025’
Saudi company eyes multi-sector projects in Pakistan worth $200 million each — ministry
- Delegation from Saudi firm Kyan explores investment in energy, mining, IT and agriculture
- Talks come amid Pakistan’s push to attract Gulf capital and boost foreign investment inflows
ISLAMABAD: A Saudi company is exploring potential multi-sector investment projects in Pakistan with an estimated minimum value of $200 million per scheme, Pakistan’s ministry of information said on Wednesday.
The development comes as Pakistan seeks to attract increased foreign direct investment from Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, as part of efforts to stabilize its economy, improve investor confidence and expand industrial capacity. Saudi Arabia has in recent years pledged billions of dollars in potential investments across Pakistan’s mining, energy and infrastructure sectors, though several projects remain at exploratory or negotiation stages.
According to the ministry of Information, a delegation from Saudi firm Kyan visited Islamabad and expressed interest in investing in sectors including energy, mining, information technology, agriculture and livestock. The delegation participated in the “Indus AI Week” organized by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication and held meetings with Federal Minister for Board of Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh.
“The delegation shared proposals for various potential projects with an estimated minimum investment of USD 200 million for each project and also conveyed their interest in bringing additional Saudi investors to Pakistan,” the information ministry said.
Welcoming the delegation, Sheikh highlighted Pakistan’s market size and geographic position.
“With a population of over 250 million, Pakistan represents a large and dynamic market,” the minister said, adding that the country’s location provides access to landlocked Central Asian states, making it an attractive hub for regional trade and investment.
The ministry statement said the Board of Investment offered facilitation through its Business Facilitation Center, which provides a single-window mechanism for investor approvals and coordination. Sheikh also assured the delegation of support in arranging meetings with the business community and visits to Special Economic Zones, where incentives include income tax and import duty exemptions.
The minister referred to recent engagements between Pakistani and Saudi officials and reiterated that both countries could work to unlock new avenues of bilateral investment and economic cooperation, according to the statement.
Saudi Arabia is among Pakistan’s largest sources of worker remittances and has emerged as a key partner in Islamabad’s efforts to secure external financing and long-term investment commitments in recent years.
