ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister, Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, has revealed a startling gap in the government’s record-keeping, admitting that the whereabouts of 40,000 Pakistani Zaireen who traveled to Iraq, Iran, and Syria in recent years remain unknown.
Speaking at a press conference, the minister said that the absence of a formal system for tracking pilgrims left the government unable to confirm whether these Zaireen returned. “If a proper record existed, we would know where each pilgrim went and whether they came back,” he noted.
The governments of Iran, Iraq, and Syria had previously raised concerns with Islamabad over the unmonitored movement of Pakistani pilgrims, emphasizing the need for an organized and accountable mechanism.
The minister explained that historically, Zaireen traveled individually or through informal groups without any mandatory registration at the official level, creating security risks and leading to complaints from host countries.
To address the issue, Pakistan has now introduced a centralized framework for pilgrimage management, requiring all tour operators to register with the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Over 1,400 companies have already applied to become Zaireen Group Organisers (ZGOs), and the federal cabinet has approved the new policy.
Sardar Yousuf also disclosed that the government has requested Saudi Arabia to raise Pakistan’s Hajj quota from the current 179,000 to 230,000, in line with the country’s population.
