Hajj 2024: Govt’s Hajj scheme sees lackluster response

ISLAMABAD – In six days after the banks started receiving applications, only 7,000 people from all around the country showed interest in applying for Hajj through the government scheme, implying poor response in this regard.

As per the sources familiar with the developments at the Religious Affairs Ministry, the number of Hajj applications received is much less than the expected figures.

Under the sponsorship scheme, there are 25, 000 seats available for Hajj pilgrims on a first-come, first-served basis. However, only 400 applications have been received so far which shows that the public seems disinterested in the government Hajj scheme, Samm News reported.

The deadline for submitting Hajj applications is December 12, and there are only nine days left to submit applications but the public seems disengaged for reasons unknown to many.

Banks across the country began accepting Hajj applications for the official scheme starting November 27, 2023.
For the upcoming year, it’s expected that 89, 605 Pakistanis will have the opportunity to perform the annual pilgrimage under the government scheme. A lucky draw will be conducted if there are more applications than the allowed number though there was no balloting last year.

In a fresh development, women will now have the opportunity to perform Hajj without a male guardian (mahram) for the first time.

Applications are being accepted until December 16 for individuals with valid Pakistani passports. If someone has applied for a passport or an extension, they can apply using the token received from the passport office. In the sponsorship scheme, 25, 000 pilgrims submitting applications will not be subjected to balloting and this could benefit overseas Pakistanis.

As far as the details for Hajj 2024 are concerned, the government has introduced a short Hajj package, ensuring completion within 25 days. Priced at Rs 80, 000 more than the Long Hajj package, the cost for Short Hajj stands at Rs 1,140, 000 for individuals from the southern region(Burewala, Bhakkar, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Jhang, and Dera Ghazi Khan) and Rs 1,150, 000 for those from the northern areas (Mansehra, Naran, Kaghan, Gilgit, Chilas, Passu and Karimabad).

For the Long Hajj package, pilgrims will have an extended journey lasting up to 42 days, with eight of those days spent in Medinah. Departing from southern parts like Karachi, Quetta, and Sukkur, the cost of this experience is Rs 1,065,000. For those departing from the northern parts (Mansehra, Naran, Kaghan, Gilgit, Chilas, Passu, and Karimabad) the cost is slightly higher at Rs 1,075, 000.

Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by those who are physically and financially stable. It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and involves a series of rituals remembering Prophet Ibrahim’s devotion to God.