Date for Hajj applications extended
The Ministry of Religious Affairs has extended the deadline for the submission of Hajj applications until December 10.
The previous deadline was set to expire on December 3, however, a recent announcement by Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain asserted that all Hajj applications, under the government Hajj scheme, have been approved.
“All Hajj applications received from the 18th of the last month till Tuesday have been accepted.”
Additionally, the minister said that all the applications under the sponsorship scheme have also been approved without any balloting.
It was specified that overseas Pakistanis should deposit the sponsorship fee by the 10th of December.
For the next year's Hajj Policy, 179,210 Pakistanis will be able to perform Hajj.
The quota will be divided equally (89,605 each) between government and private Hajj schemes.
1,000 seats will be allocated for hardship cases and 300 for labourers and low-income employees registered under the Employees Old-Age Benefit Institution (EOBI) or Workers Welfare Fund.
Meanwhile, at least 5,000 seats would be reserved for the sponsorship scheme.
The ministry is also expecting almost 70,000 Hajj applications by tonight from pilgrims wishing to attend this year which would also be approved without balloting.
Moreover, all the applications received after December 3 would be accepted probably via balloting as the minister informed, “If applications exceed quota, a balloting will be held.”
Notably, all the intending applicants are depositing Rs200,000 as part of the application process.
The second installment will be Rs400,000 and this will be submitted by those aspiring pilgrims whose names are finalised by the authorities.
The successful ones will be given the time to deposit the remaining Hajj expenses, likely to vary between Rs1,075,000 and Rs1,175,000.
The tentative date announced for them is February 10, 2024.
Ministry of Religious Affairs’s spokesperson delineated that the schedule of Hajj flights will be finalised after receiving applications.