More than 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims may be unable to perform Hajj this year due to a serious financial mishap that has disrupted travel arrangements and caused widespread concern among families and tour operators.

As per reports, a major payment blunder occurred when around 50 million Saudi Riyals—intended for pilgrims’ Hajj expenses—were mistakenly transferred to an incorrect bank account instead of the official Saudi Ministry of Hajj.

This error, discovered too late, meant that private Hajj tour operators were unable to meet the payment deadline set by Saudi authorities. As a result, the names of nearly 67,000 pilgrims were not included in the official Hajj list despite full payments being collected by operators from pilgrims months in advance.

In response, Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has sent an urgent letter to Saudi officials—written in both English and Arabic—pleading for an exception this year. The letter underscores that many of the affected pilgrims are elderly and may not get another opportunity to fulfill their lifelong dream of performing Hajj.

The appeal states that the required funds are already with Saudi authorities and requests that any remaining space in Mina be allocated to Pakistani pilgrims. The Ministry also pledged full compliance with all deadlines in the future and framed the request as an act of Islamic brotherhood and compassion.

The situation has sparked concern across the country. Religious and political figures such as Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman have urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to intervene personally and ensure that these pilgrims are not left behind due to bureaucratic failure.

Mian Aamir, an executive committee member of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce, has also demanded that the government take immediate notice and make alternative arrangements to safeguard the spiritual journey of these citizens.

To prevent similar issues in the future, the government has formed a special subcommittee to investigate the error, trace the misdirected funds, and coordinate directly with Saudi counterparts for a swift resolution.