When he unveiled the Haj Policy 2025 in Islamabad on Monday, Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain declared that 179,210 pilgrims from Pakistan will make the Haj in 2025.
Millions of Muslims around the world perform the Haj, one of the core tenets of Islam, every year. Saudi Arabia gives Pakistan one of the largest Haj quotas.
According to state-run Radio Pakistan, the minister stated that the “Haj quota has been divided with a ratio of 50-50 between the government and private Haj schemes” when introducing the new policy.
According to the minister, 89,605 seats have been set aside for the private Haj schemes and the government, respectively.
He went on to say that 30,000 tickets would be given to private Haj tour operators for sponsorship, while 5,000 seats would be retained for sponsorship under the government Haj program.
Hussain emphasized that in order to take part in the sponsorship program, foreign exchange has to be sent through a banking channel.
He explained that the government sponsorship program will not be subject to balloting and will be run on a “first come, first served” basis. Additionally, he stated that the foreign currency obtained through the sponsorship program will only be utilized for Saudi Arabian Haj-related costs.
The typical long stay under the Government Haj Scheme is 38–42 days, whereas the short stay is 20–25 days. According to Saudi standards, any organized private Haj group must have 2,000 or more pilgrims, the minister stated.
It is anticipated that the government scheme will cost between Rs. 1,075,000 and Rs. 1,175,000, with an additional Rs. 55,000 for the sacrifice.
According to Hussain, applicants who choose double- or triple-bed rooms in Makkah will have to pay an extra Rs75,000 and Rs220,000, respectively.
Under the Government Hajj Scheme, the first installment of Haj dues, which is Rs200,000, must be deposited with the Haj application. The second installment, which is Rs400,000, must be deposited within ten days of the balloting. The deadline for depositing the remaining sum is February 10.
Hussain stated that if an application is withdrawn before to the deadline for filing, there will be no reduction for refunds. However, Rs50,000 will be deducted from the first installment’s reimbursement following the voting. If the third installment is not deposited, Rs200,000 would be deducted.
After February 10, there won’t be any reimbursements. However, he stated that the aforementioned deductions would not be imposed in the event of the applicant’s death.
Applications for the Haj will be accepted from November 18 through December 3, and voting will take place on December 6.
