Hajj 2024: Only 3500 apply under Sponsorship Scheme

ISLAMABAD – The caretaker minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Aneeq Ahmed said on Thursday that the government received 3500 applications under the Sponsorship Scheme designed to facilitate overseas Pakistanis.

Addressing the newsmen in Karachi after conducting the digital ballot for successful pilgrims, the minister said the number of seats under the Sponsorship Scheme is 25,000, admitting slow response from overseas Pakistanis in this regard.

The minister reiterated the provision of the best facilities to the pilgrims during their spiritual journey and added that the deadline for SPonsorship Scheme applicants has been extended to December 31, 2023.

The Minister for Religious Affairs informed that successful Pakistani pilgrims would be informed through SMS on their registered mobile numbers.

Aneeq also advised the successful Pakistani pilgrims to download a mobile application named “Pakhajj” to stay up-to-date during their Hajj; the application is available to both Android and Apple users.

To a query, he said that in case any successful applicant refuses to perform Hajj, then other candidates from the same city will be given an opportunity as per merit from the waiting list.

Earlier, the government conducted a draw for selecting 63,805 successful applicants for the upcoming Hajj. The Hajj quota for Pakistani pilgrims this year is 189210 while around 5633 surplus applications against the Hajj quota were received.

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.

The total number of seats allocated to Pakistan by the government of Saudi Arabia this time hovers around 180,000 and the Saudi authorities have also sought the schedule of Hajj flights to streamline the operations.

Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, obligatory for all Muslims who can afford it. It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Pilgrims perform a series of rituals, symbolizing unity, equality, and spiritual cleansing.