ISLAMABAD: All 79,000 Hajj applicants, who submitted their applications for Hajj payment under the government scheme, have been declared successful, the Ministry of Religious Affairs said on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia has allocated a total Hajj quota of 179,210 Hajj pilgrims to Pakistan for Hajj 2025, divided equally between public and private schemes (89,605 each).
Last week, the government extended the last date for submission of Hajj applications for government scheme slots from December 3 to December 10.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has decided to continue accepting applications on first-come-first-served basis as a total of 10,605 slots are vacant under the government scheme.
In a statement, ministry spokesman Mohammad Omar Butt said more than 10,000 new applications were received during the one-week extension. He said that after filling the Hajj quota, the ministry will announce the closure of applications.
Umar said that the ministry has advised new applicants to ensure that they get a computerized receipt from the concerned bank after submitting their applications and added that the allotment of seats will be based on the date and time mentioned in the receipt.
He further said that after the completion of the official quota, the Ministry of Hajj will announce the schedule of the second installment of Wajib.
The spokesman also urged pilgrims to use the Pak Hajj mobile app on their smartphones to stay updated on important instructions including payment schedules, training sessions and flight details.
He said that the Ministry’s proactive measures are aimed at streamlining the Hajj process and providing maximum convenience to the applicants.
Hajj Policy 2025
About 179,210 Pakistanis will perform Hajj next year under the government scheme at a cost of between Rs 1,075,000 and Rs 1,175,000.
According to Minister of Religious Affairs Chaudhry Salik Hussain, the expected expenses of Hajj 2025 will be between 1,075,000 to 1,175,000 rupees.
A pilgrim will have to deposit Rs 200,000 with the Haj application and Rs 400,000 after being selected through a lottery, while the remaining payments will be made by February 10, 2025.
In case of cancellation, the first installment will be refunded after deducting Rs.50,000, while in case of non-payment of the third installment, Rs.200,000 will be deducted and no refund will be made after 10 February 2025. .
Also, under the present government’s Hajj policy, the compensation for the heirs of the dead has been increased from Rs.10 lakh to Rs.20 lakh.
Additionally, a maximum of 1,000 seats will be reserved for hard cases and 300 for laborers and low-income employees registered under the Employees’ Old Age Benefit Institution (EOBI) or the Workers’ Welfare Fund.