The federal cabinet in a meeting on Wednesday has approved the Hajj Policy 2026, which increased the government’s quota.

According to the sources, the cabinet raised the government quota by 10pc from the last year.

The 70% quota will be allocated to the government, while the remaining 30% will be allotted to the private tour operators.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs had initially proposed a 40% quota for government-sponsored pilgrims and 60% for private operators; however, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, taking personal interest in the matter, directed a revision, resulting in a 70:30 split in favour of the government scheme.

Sources further revealed that the cost of performing Hajj under the government scheme in 2026 is expected to range between Rs1.15 million and Rs1.25 million.