Women who do not have permission from their husbands or parents will not be allowed to perform Hajj, according to a statement from the Ministry of Religious Affairs released on Tuesday.
For this year’s Hajj, the Saudi government has allocated a quota of 179,210 pilgrims from Pakistan. Of these, 89,602 will participate under the government scheme, with the remainder going through private tour operators, as per the ministryโs announcement.
The 2025 Hajj Policy document, available to Dawn.com, specifies that women can travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj on their own, provided they meet the conditions set by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII).
According to the CIIโs decision from its session on June 6-7, 2023, women can perform Hajj without a mehram (male guardian) if they have received consent from their parents or husbands and if they are traveling in a trustworthy group of female pilgrims where their safety and dignity are not at risk.
Historically, Pakistani women were not permitted to travel alone for Hajj. However, in 2021, the Saudi government lifted its ban on women traveling unaccompanied for both Hajj and Umrah, as part of broader efforts to enhance women’s rights in the country.
