Pakistan extends Hajj applications’ submission deadline for sponsorship scheme

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has extended the deadline for submitting Hajj applications under the government’s sponsorship scheme till December 31, ARY News reported on Friday.

“The step had been taken on the insistence of overseas Pakistanis while there would be no extension in the deadline for Regular Scheme as the number of applications submitted had already crossed its quota”, the ministry’s spokesperson said.

The spokesperson made it clear that there would be no further extension in the deadline for submission of applications to ensure smooth and timely arrangements for Hajj 2024.

He said the balloting for the regular Government Scheme would be held on December 28. “Over 66,000 applications had received under the scheme”, he added.

The spokesperson advised the Hajj applicants to acquire signed copies of their computerised Hajj forms from the respective banks and rectify any errors in their details on the spot. “This proactive measure was recommended to prevent any inconvenience in the future”, he added.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Aviation authorities instructed airlines to submit their Hajj flight schedules by January 2, 2024, to ensure the seamless operation of flights.

The government has allocated 25,000 seats in the ‘Sponsorship Scheme Hajj’, introduced by the government this year, allowing overseas Pakistanis to apply for Hajj or sponsor someone in Pakistan for the journey by paying in US dollars. In return, applicants would not have to participate in the balloting process.

Sources told ARY News that only 3,161 applications have been received so far under the government sponsorship scheme against a quota of 25,000.

Previously, the government extended the Hajj application deadline by 10 days from December 12 to 22.

Saudi Arabia had restored Pakistan’s pre-coronavirus Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims and lifted the upper age limit of 65 years to perform the pilgrimage.

The quota for Pakistanis performing the pilgrimage under the government’s regular scheme next year is 89,605, with the pilgrimage expected to cost Rs1,075,000 per head.

Despite slashing Hajj expenses and introducing short-term Hajj facilities, the number of applications has dropped this year too. The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony had to return the quota of almost 20,000 to Saudi Arabia after dropping in Hajj pilgrims last year.

To attract pilgrims, the government has introduced both long and short-term packages spanning over 38 to 42 and 20 to 25 days, respectively.

Meanwhile, women, for the first time, can undertake the sacred journey without the traditional requirement of a male companion. Furthermore, the government would provide free-of-cost mobile SIMs with roaming internet packages.