What happened
Pakistan has formally asked Saudi Arabia to increase its Hajj quota for 2026 to 230,000 pilgrims, in proportion to the country’s population, so that more people can perform the pilgrimage, The Nation reported.
Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf told the media in Islamabad on Thursday that more than 38,000 pilgrims would travel from Islamabad under the “Route to Makkah” project, and that efforts were under way to expand the facility to Lahore. The service is currently available only in Islamabad and Karachi.
Why it matters
The request reflects heavy demand for the annual pilgrimage. Sardar Muhammad Yousaf said Saudi Arabia has so far allocated a quota of 179,210 pilgrims to Pakistan, of which around 118,000 seats have been reserved under the government scheme and the rest assigned to private tour operators. He said more than 450,000 applications had been received for Hajj registration this year, which he described as a sign of growing public trust in the government’s Hajj management.
The minister said arrangements for Hajj 2026 had been finalised in line with guidance from the Saudi authorities, and that mandatory training programmes were being held across the country so pilgrims understand the rituals and administrative procedures. The first phase of the training will continue until February. He urged Khuddam-ul-Hujjaj Nazims to facilitate pilgrims properly and said he would be present in Saudi Arabia to address complaints during Hajj.
What is still uncertain
The report did not say when Saudi Arabia is expected to respond to the request, whether the existing allocation could be revised, or how the extra seats would be divided between the government and private schemes if the quota is increased.
Sources & reporting notes
This article summarises reporting published by The Nation on 15 January 2026. It is not eyewitness reporting. Figures and statements are as reported by the source.
- The Nation — Pakistan requests Saudi Arabia to increase Hajj 2026 quota to 230,00015 January 2026 · Report from Islamabad on the quota request, the existing allocation and the Route to Makkah project.
