Hajj Applicants Face Technical Hurdles as Government Portal Fails to Process Documents

Hajj Applicants Face Technical Hurdles as Government Portal Fails to Process Documents
Islamabad – March 25, 2025

Thousands of applicants under Pakistan’s Government Hajj Scheme 2025 are struggling to submit their required documents due to technical issues on the official Hajj portal. With today being the final deadline, applicants are uncertain about their status as their submissions remain unprocessed or rejected due to system errors.

Mandatory Uploads and Initial Challenges
On March 18, 2025, the Government of Pakistan announced that all Hajj applicants must upload scanned copies of their passports and photographs to the official Hajj application portal. This step was introduced to facilitate digital processing, but it has led to widespread difficulties.

As applicants uploaded their documents, many encountered the message “Wait for approval,” which remained unchanged for days. Despite multiple follow-ups through complaint centers and emails, a significant number of applications were not processed.

Several applicants who received responses from the system were notified to reupload their documents with remarks such as:

“Reupload clear picture.”

“Upload clear copy of passport.”

“Document unreadable.”

Even applicants who used high-quality scans faced these rejection messages, raising concerns about the functionality and accuracy of the verification process.

System Errors and Processing Delays
One of the most reported technical issues involves character recognition errors within the portal. The system confuses the digit “0” (zero) with the letter “O”, leading to incorrect entries and rejections.

As a result, many applicants have been required to repeatedly resubmit their documents, despite following the prescribed guidelines. This has led to wasted time and resources for those trying to comply with the process.

Limited Digital Literacy Exacerbates the Situation
While some applicants have managed to navigate the digital system, a large segment of the population faces additional challenges due to limited technological literacy.

A considerable number of applicants have had to seek assistance from internet cafés, mobile phone shops, or private agents to upload their documents. However, due to persistent system errors, many submissions remain unapproved or rejected, despite multiple attempts.

March 25 Deadline and Lack of Clarity
With March 25, 2025, being the final date for passport and picture verification, many applicants remain uncertain about what will happen if their issues are not resolved today.

Despite repeated inquiries and complaints, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has not yet issued any clear instructions on whether:

The deadline will be extended.

Alternative submission methods will be provided.

Support centers such as NADRA offices will be allowed to assist with document verification.

Call for Immediate Government Action
As the deadline nears, there is an urgent need for government intervention to address these technical and procedural issues. Several solutions, such as extending the deadline or allowing manual verification at designated centers, could assist in resolving the crisis.

With thousands of Hajj applicants still awaiting clarity, the Ministry of Religious Affairs is expected to take immediate action to prevent unnecessary disqualifications due to system inefficiencies.