Sardar Yousaf clarifies remarks regarding 40,000 missing Pakistani pilgrims in Iran, Iraq

Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf on Friday clarified earlier comments regarding “40,000 missing pilgrims” in the Middle East, stating the figure was based on outdated travel records rather than mass disappearances.

His clarification comes amid increasing scrutiny over undocumented religious travelers from Pakistan.

The issue gained attention after media reports cited official data suggesting that around 40,000 Pakistani pilgrims to Iran, Iraq, and Syria had either gone missing or overstayed over the past decade. This prompted the Pakistani government to begin drafting a new monitoring policy and to raise concerns with the respective host countries.

Every year, thousands of Pakistani Shia pilgrims visit shrines in these nations. However, authorities in host countries have repeatedly expressed concern over the number of undocumented or non-returning visitors.

Mustafa Jamal Kazi, Director General of Immigration and Passports, said that most of the disappearances occurred in Iraq, often driven by the lure of employment in its construction sector. He also noted that some individuals exploited religious travel to engage in begging.

Kazi confirmed the official figure of missing pilgrims, stating that these individuals “never returned during the last almost one decade.”

In a statement, Yousaf clarified: “My reference to 40,000 pilgrims was never meant to suggest that thousands of Pakistanis are currently missing abroad. The issue lies in the fact that many old paper-based travel records have not yet been fully digitized.”

To address the problem, the Religious Affairs Ministry has introduced a new digital portal. Under this system, pilgrims and tour organizers are issued QR-coded e-cards, providing families and officials real-time access to travel data.

“This initiative will help prevent misunderstandings and misinformation,” the minister said. “It will also facilitate the timely sharing of data with authorities in Iran, Iraq, and Syria, ensuring secure and accountable pilgrimage.”

Yousaf urged all pilgrims and tour operators to register on the new system by August 31 to avoid being listed in “incomplete records.”

“Our aim is to make every Pakistani pilgrim’s journey safe and traceable,” he added. “Together, we can demonstrate to the world that Pakistan is committed to transparency and responsible oversight through the use of modern technology.”

As part of broader reforms, the government has also abolished the traditional “Salar system”—where private group leaders managed logistics—and implemented a centralized framework under the new Ziyarat Management Policy. Licensed organizers will now be held accountable for ensuring each pilgrim’s return.