Islamabad, July 16, 2025: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf has made a startling revelation, disclosing that nearly 40,000 Pakistani pilgrims who travelled to Iraq, Iran, and Syria remain untraceable, with no available records indicating their whereabouts.
Addressing a press briefing in Islamabad, the minister said that the governments of Iraq, Iran, and Syria have formally raised the issue with Pakistani authorities, urging immediate corrective action. In response, the Government of Pakistan has initiated a comprehensive overhaul of its religious travel framework, introducing a new computerized monitoring system for pilgrims.
Under the new regulations, all pilgrims traveling to regional holy sites will be required to go through officially registered and government-approved Zaireen Group Organizers (ZGOs). The Ministry of Religious Affairs has already begun the registration process for companies seeking ZGO status. According to the minister, more than 1,400 companies have applied so far.
Of these, 585 companies have passed initial security clearance and have been directed to complete their online registration and submit all required documentation by July 31, 2025. The ministry has also invited fresh applications from other interested companies, with a deadline of August 10.
Minister Yousuf added that Iran is also introducing its own integrated pilgrim registration system for travel to Iraq’s sacred sites, gradually replacing the traditional informal caravan networks that have operated for decades. He urged companies wishing to continue religious tour operations to register without delay, stressing that unregulated travel is no longer sustainable given the current security and accountability challenges.
The federal cabinet has already approved the policy framework for the new ZGO system, and the ministry has issued public notices inviting applications under this new regime.
Responding to a question, the minister explained that the administration and regulation of pilgrimages—whether for Hajj, Umrah, or visits to shrines in Iraq, Iran, and Syria—fall within the mandate of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Although legal authority to oversee these pilgrimages was granted in 2021, the previous administration failed to establish a structured monitoring mechanism, he noted.
The adoption of the new digital framework is aimed at improving accountability, ensuring the security of pilgrims, and bringing greater transparency to the system. It represents a significant shift away from informal and undocumented religious travel, which officials say has led to thousands of pilgrims becoming untraceable.
