Pakistan, June 25 -- Pakistan's religious affairs ministry said on Wednesday more than 51,000 people had registered for Hajj 2027 within the first two days of the launch of a registration drive, signaling strong early demand for next year's pilgrimage.

The registration process, which opened this week, is mandatory for Pakistanis intending to perform Hajj in 2027 under either the government or private scheme. Hajj expenses and other operational details will be announced later.

Pakistan was allocated a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the 2026 pilgrimage, one of the largest national allocations in the world. Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf has repeatedly requested Saudi authorities to increase Pakistan's Hajj quota to ...