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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has filled its entire quota of 179,210 Hajj pilgrims under both the government and private schemes, the religious affairs minister said on Thursday, disclosing that negotiations are underway with Saudi companies to finalize transport and accommodation arrangements.

Similar to last year, Pakistan has been allocated a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2026. Out of these, around 120,000 seats have been allocated under the government scheme and the rest to private tour operators.

“We have now completed the Hajj applications with the entire quota utilized and the first installment of dues also submitted,” Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf told Arab News.

The minister was speaking to Arab News at the sidelines of a pre-launch event for a Hajj and Umrah exhibition in Islamabad, which will take place from Oct. 24-26 in Islamabad.

“All preparations have been finalized and a procurement committee has been formed to sign agreements with Saudi companies for transportation, accommodation, and other arrangements,” Yousuf said. “And their work has already started.”

The minister said many people were still inquiring about the government scheme quota, saying they were unable to apply in time. Yousuf said the ministry would accommodate them on a case-by-case basis, provided any pilgrims drop out.

He added that the private sector has also completed its quota of 60,000 Hajj pilgrims.

“Thus, next year Pakistan will fully utilize its total quota of 179,210 pilgrims,” the minister said.

Last year, around 63,000 Pakistani pilgrims were unable to perform Hajj under the private scheme due to delays in payments and mismanagement by private Hajj operators.

As a result, Islamabad was forced to surrender these slots to ������Ƶ.

Yousaf said the government had taken serious action over the matter, saying this led to a reduction in the Hajj pilgrims’ quota for private tour operators this year.

He said earlier, the quota for Hajj pilgrims under government and private schemes was kept allocated at 50 percent each. The quota for private tour operators now has been slashed to 33 percent while the government has been allocated a share of 67 percent.

“Through this, the cabinet has sent a warning that since performance was unsatisfactory, their [private Hajj operators] quota has been reduced by 30,000— from almost 90,000 to 60,000,” Yousuf said.

He said the ministry would review performances of private tour operators this year and future quotas would be decided accordingly.

Yousuf spoke about the Munazzam system adopted by Pakistan, which refers to clustering private Hajj operators into larger groups to meet ������Ƶ’s regulatory requirements.

“Last year there were 41 clusters which have now been reduced to 25 this year,” he said.

Under the Kingdom’s rules, only companies handling a minimum of 2,000 pilgrims can directly operate Hajj services. Since most Pakistani private Hajj operators are small and don’t individually meet this threshold, they are grouped together into clusters called Munazzam.

‘STRICT ACTION’ AGAINST BEGGARS

Yousuf said the government is working hard to reduce Hajj expenses, adding that the early completion of procedures would help to achieve this.

Under the government scheme, pilgrims can choose between a long Hajj package (38-42 days) and a short package (20-25 days). Costs range between Rs1,150,000 and Rs1,250,000 ($4,050–4,236).

Applicants were required to deposit the first installment of Rs500,000 [$1764] or Rs550,000 [$1941], depending on the package. The remaining dues will be collected in November.

Yousuf said the ministry has established a separate wing to take control of Umrah operations, according to the Hajj and Umrah (Regulation) Act, 2024.

“I met with the tour operators this morning as we are going to implement this act soon, and work is already underway as modalities are being finalized and registration of the Umrah tour operators is underway,” he said.

Yousuf acknowledged that previously, some Umrah pilgrims went to perform the pilgrimage but were found begging and involved in similar activities, bringing a bad name to Pakistan.

He said the Saudi government has been very strict about begging and sent letters to all countries, urging them to strengthen their systems to prevent the illegal practice.

“It was a mafia-like network, and we have now strictly prohibited it and strict action will be taken against anyone found involved in such practices,” Yousuf said.

ISLAMABAD: American multinational company Chevron has invested $30 million to set up an automated lubricants blending plant in Pakistan, the petroleum ministry announced on Thursday, terming such investments as vital for economic growth.

Chevron is a US energy and petroleum corporation, considered one of the largest oil companies in the world. The head of the company’s Pakistan chapter, Ahmad Zahid, met Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik. The two discussed the corporation’s ongoing operations and future plans in Pakistan, the petroleum ministry said in a statement.

“Mr. Zahid apprised the Minister that Chevron, a leading US-based multinational oil company, has recently invested $30 million to establish a state-of-the-art, fully automated lubricants blending plant in Pakistan,” the statement said.

Zahid said the investment showcases Chevron’s long-term commitment to Pakistan. The Chevron official said his company was currently selling approximately 70 million liters of high-quality lubricants per annum in Pakistan, serving a wide range of industrial and automotive customers.

Malik welcomed the investment, commending the company’s confidence in the Pakistani economy and its role in enhancing the country’s oil sector with advanced technology and international standards.

“The Government of Pakistan is committed to providing a conducive environment for businesses to thrive,” Malik was quoted as saying by the ministry.

He assured full support and facilitation to Chevron, noting that such investments are vital for economic growth, technology transfer, and creating employment opportunities.

Pakistan has been eyeing foreign partnerships with different countries and their companies, particularly those in the US, in mines and minerals, cryptocurrency and oil and gas sectors.

The South Asian country hopes to bolster its fragile $350 billion economy through lucrative partnerships with foreign governments and multinationals as it hopes to wiggle out of a prolonged macroeconomic crisis.