Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf has revealed that nearly 40,000 Pakistani pilgrims who travelled to Iran, Iraq, and Syria are either missing or still present there, with no official record of their whereabouts.

 

During a press conference on Tuesday in Islamabad, Yousaf stated that, owing to the seriousness of the issue, the government has abolished the traditional "Salar system" (group leader-based system) and introduced a new computerised, organised mechanism to prevent such incidents in the future.

 

He explained that under the new system, only officially registered companies meeting government criteria will be authorised to arrange pilgrimage tours, with Zaireen Group Organisers (ZGOs) certificates issued to approved operators. This aims to ensure pilgrim safety and maintain transparent travel records.

 

The minister revealed that Iran, Iraq, and Syria have formally raised concerns with Pakistan over the disappearance of such a large number of pilgrims.

 

In response, the ministry has decided that all future pilgrimages must be conducted through licensed tour operators to ensure proper monitoring and accountability.

 

He calls on companies intending to operate as ZGOs to immediately register with the ministry under the newly approved pilgrim management framework.

 

Yousuf mentioned that the federal cabinet had already approved the new ZGO regulatory system, and under this, the ministry had released a public notice calling for registrations. “So far, over 1,400 companies have submitted registration applications," he added.

 

According to reports, out of 1400 companies, 585 that have received security clearance have been instructed to complete their online registration through the ministry's website and submit all required documents by July 31.

 

The minister further announced that a second advertisement has also been published seeking fresh applications from new companies interested in becoming ZGOs. The deadline for these applications is August 10.