Federal Cabinet approves Haj Policy and Plan 2027-2030 with focus on incorporating digitisation

The federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the “first-ever” four-year Haj policy and plan, instructing authorities to complete digitisation of the operation to ensure “better” facilities for pilgrims, state-broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the meeting of the federal cabinet today, where the participants were given a detailed briefing on the latest long-term Haj policy. The cabinet members were told that the new policy was designed to improve operations and provide better facilities to pilgrims, and standard operating procedures and other regulatory frameworks would be developed for its implementation. Furthermore, amendments would be made to it, as needed, to keep it aligned with Saudi laws and regulations. To ensure affordability, the cabinet also approved the introduction of a Shariah-compliant savings scheme to enable aspiring pilgrims to benefit from a savings plan for performing Haj in the future. The meeting was apprised that under the latest policy, aspiring pilgrims would be able to register for Haj in any year up to 2030, allowing the ministry to prepare a priority waiting list. The cabinet members were further informed that the entire Haj management system was being digitised to support online payment mechanisms, with the introduction of complaint management and monitoring systems as well.Under the newly approved policy, the cabinet was told that separate quotas were allocated for government and private Haj schemes, including options for a long and short stay.

The policy also mandated training for pilgrims, takaful arrangements, and emergency response mechanisms.

The cabinet directed the authorities to appoint Haj Moavineen “on merit” through a transparent mechanism. It further instructed that third-party validation of both government and private Haj operations should also be ensured to facilitate pilgrims.

The cabinet also commended Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf and his team for the successful management of this year’s pilgrimage.

Read: KSA allows Haj travel for children aged 12

The cabinet also approved a policy to outsource services at the Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Centre and the Regional Blood Centre in Islamabad to improve citizens’ access to healthcare, with the Ministry of National Health Services to implement it.

The cabinet members were also briefed on the performance of Pakistan Railways, including that its revenue rose from Rs95 billion in 2024-25 to over Rs115 billion in the last fiscal year, registering an increase of 24.19%, mainly driven by freight revenue.

Authorities said the railways’ freight revenue increased by more than Rs8 billion, other revenue by Rs7 billion, and property and land revenue by Rs6 billion. The meeting's participants were apprised that the revenue from passenger services increased by 3.37% during the same time period.

They were further informed that, besides improvements in railway operations, significant progress had also been made in freight cargo logistics.