Check a Ziarat Operator's Licence Before You Book Iran or Iraq Ziarat From Pakistan
Check a Ziarat Group Organiser licence on the ministry's list before you book Iran or Iraq Ziarat. 246 ZGOs were licensed. Steps, warning signs, complaints.
Before you pay anyone for Ziarat to Iran or Iraq, search the company on the Ministry of Religious Affairs list of licensed Ziarat Group Organisers at zgo.mora.gov.pk/licensed-zgos. The list had 246 licensed companies on 2 October 2026. Each entry shows the licence's issue and expiry dates and opens a recognition letter you can match against the agent's papers.
A Ziarat Group Organiser, or ZGO, is a company that the ministry has registered to take Pakistani zaireen on pilgrimage to holy sites abroad. The ministry's standard operating procedures (SOPs) name Iran, Iraq and Syria. We searched the live list ourselves and read the SOPs on mora.gov.pk.
The rule that matters most is in clause 3 of those SOPs. No unregistered person or company may open an office for zaireen, offer Ziarat services, advertise them, call for applications or hire anyone for them. An agent who is not on the list is breaking the ministry's rules.
The ministry's licensed ZGO list had 246 companies
The official ZGO list lives on the ministry's Umrah and Ziarat portal at zgo.mora.gov.pk. On 2 October 2026 it said "Total Results: 246 ZGOs", with search, province and district filters, and a licence page for every company.
Every row shows a registration number, an enlistment number, the company name, the chief executive's name, the office address, phone, WhatsApp, email and website. The last columns show the date the licence was issued and the date it expires.
The first entries we saw had licences issued on 31 December 2025 and expiring on 31 December 2028. That matches the SOPs, which say a registration stays valid for three years unless it is cancelled or suspended earlier.
Check a ZGO licence in five steps
Open the licensed ZGO page, type the company name or registration number, check the expiry date, open the licence letter, and match its address and chief executive with what the agent told you. It takes about two minutes.
- Open the list. Go to zgo.mora.gov.pk/licensed-zgos. You do not need to log in. The "Portal Login" button is for companies, not pilgrims.
- Search by name or number. The search box takes a company name, registration number, enlistment number or chief executive's name. You can also pick your province and district.
- Read the expiry date. A licence past its expiry date is not valid for your trip. Your travel dates should fall before it.
- Open "View License". It shows the ministry's recognition letter with a serial number, the company's registration number, the chief executive's name and the official address.
- Match the details. The name on your receipt, the office you visited and the phone number you called should match the letter. If they do not, ask why before you pay.
A ZGO must also be a company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), the SOPs say. If you want a second check, the company's name should also appear in the SECP record, the same register used to register a company with the SECP.
Warning signs that an agent is not licensed
Be careful if the agent's company is missing from the list, uses a slightly different name, gives only a mobile number, or wants full cash payment with no receipt. Any of these is a reason to stop and check again.
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Company not found on zgo.mora.gov.pk | Do not book. Ask for its registration number and search again. |
| Name close to a listed company, but not the same | Check the address and chief executive on the licence letter. |
| Licence expiry before your travel date | Ask whether it has been renewed, then check the list again. |
| Agent is a "sub agent" of a ZGO | Pay the listed company directly and get its receipt. |
| Cash only, no written agreement | Insist on a written package and a receipt in the company's name. |
Travel by road through Balochistan to Iran has its own border rules, which change from time to time. Our report on the Pakistan Iran border crossings has the latest official position we found.
Complaints against a ZGO go to a ministry committee
If a licensed ZGO lets you down, complain to the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Its SOPs set up a Ziarat Complaints Committee, chaired by a Joint Secretary, that can fine, suspend or blacklist the company. Abroad, the ministry's monitoring team can try to settle the problem on the spot.
The SOPs set out the process. A section officer checks the complaint and sends the company a written notice. The company gets 15 days to reply. The committee then hears both sides and makes its recommendation to the ministry's Additional Secretary.
The penalties are clear. A major penalty can be blacklisting, cancellation, suspension, forfeiture of the company's security, or a fine of Rs 100,000 or more. A minor penalty is a fine of up to Rs 100,000, a warning, or a place on a watch list. A company whose registration is cancelled cannot register again for five years.
To reach the ministry, use its official WhatsApp complaint number, 0306-3332555, which is linked from mora.gov.pk. If the ministry does not respond, the Pakistan Citizen Portal is a second route to the same ministry.
You can appeal within 30 days
Either side can appeal a Ziarat Complaints Committee decision to the Secretary of the ministry within 30 days. After the appellate committee decides, a further appeal can go to the High Court within another 30 days.
A complaint that the monitoring team already settled on the spot abroad cannot be taken to the committee again, the SOPs say. So if you accept a fix in Iran or Iraq, make sure it is the fix you want.
Keep everything: your written package, receipts, the ZGO's licence page as a screenshot with the date, hotel names, and messages. The committee works from papers.
Common questions
Where is the official list of licensed ZGOs?
At zgo.mora.gov.pk/licensed-zgos, run by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony. The ministry's own website links to it under Ziaraat.
How many ZGOs are licensed?
246 when we checked on 2 October 2026. The number changes as licences are added, suspended or cancelled, so search each time.
How long is a ZGO licence valid?
Three years, unless cancelled or suspended earlier, under the ministry's SOPs. The list shows each licence's expiry date.
Can an unlicensed agent arrange Ziarat?
No. The SOPs bar any unregistered person or company from offering, advertising or arranging Ziarat services.
Which countries does the ZGO system cover?
The SOPs name Iran, Iraq and Syria, and other countries the ministry decides on.
What fine can a ZGO face?
Up to Rs 100,000 as a minor penalty, or Rs 100,000 and above as a major one, along with blacklisting or cancellation.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 2 October 2026. We searched the ministry's licensed ZGO list, opened a sample licence letter, and read the ministry's SOPs for Ziarat operation and ZGOs. The WhatsApp complaint number is from mora.gov.pk. We could not read the English Zaireen Management Policy PDF because its text is encoded, so we relied on the SOPs made under it. We did not file a complaint, so we cannot say how long the committee takes.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
