Pakistan (National Times)- ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs on Tuesday said that all 79,000 applicants who submitted their applications to perform the Hajj 2025 pilgrimage under the federal government scheme were “successful” as the December 10 deadline for submissions expired. Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2025, which is bifurcated equally (89,605 each) between the government and private schemes. Last week, the government extended the deadline for the submission of Hajj applications for government scheme slots from December 3 to December 10. Meanwhile, the religious ministry has decided to continue accepting applications on a first-come, first-served basis as a total of 10,605 slots remain vacant under the government scheme. In a statement, ministry’s spokesperson Muhammad Umar Butt noted that over 10,000 new applications were received during the one-week extension. He said once the Hajj quota is filled, the ministry will announce the closure of applications. Umar said the ministry has advised new applicants to ensure they obtain a computerised receipt from the relevant bank upon submission of their applications and added the allocation of seats will be based on the date and time mentioned on the receipt. He further said after the completion of the government quota, the ministry will announce the schedule for the second installment of Hajj dues. The spokesperson also urged pilgrims to use the Pak Hajj Mobile App on their smartphones to stay updated about important instructions, including the payment schedule, training sessions, and flight details. He said the ministry’s proactive measures were meant to streamline the Hajj process and ensure maximum facilitation for applicants.

Hajj 2025 policy

About 179,210 Pakistanis will perform Hajj under the government scheme next year at a cost of between Rs1,075,000 and Rs1,175,000. The expected expenditure for Hajj 2025, as per Minister for Religious Affairs Chaudhry Salik Hussain, would vary between Rs1,075,000 and Rs1,175,000. A pilgrim will have to submit Rs200,000 along with the Hajj application and deposit Rs400,000 after being selected via balloting, whereas, the remaining payments will be paid by February 10, 2025. In case of cancellation, the refund of the first instalment will be made after a deduction of Rs50,000, whereas, Rs200,000 will be deducted in case of failure to pay the third instalment and no refunds will be made after February 10, 2025. Also under the incumbent government’s Hajj policy, the compensation for the heirs of the deceased has been increased from Rs1 million to Rs2 million. Furthermore, as many as 1,000 seats would 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.