Pakistan, Jan. 15 -- Pakistan has formally requested Saudi Arabia to increase its Hajj 2026 quota to 230,000 pilgrims, citing proportionality with the national population. The request was conveyed by Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf during an interaction with media in Islamabad on Thursday.

Read More: Pakistan sees expansion in Hajj quota

Saudi Arabia has already allocated a quota of 179,210 for the upcoming Hajj season. Of these, around 118,000 seats are reserved under the government scheme, while the remaining slots fall under private tour operators.

Yousaf said the government had finalized its operational arrangements for Hajj 2026 in line with Saudi guidelines. He noted that efforts were ...