Nearly 60,000 apply for govt Haj scheme: ministry

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has received a total of 59,328 Haj applications under the government scheme.

According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs sources, the deadline for submitting applications for the Government Hajj Scheme has already been extended to December 22.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs extended an invitation for Haj 2024 applications under the government’s scheme starting from November 27, with the deadline earlier set to December 12.

Under the government’s scheme, the quota for Pakistanis participating in the annual Islamic pilgrimage next year is 89,605, with an anticipated cost of Rs1,075,000 per person.

Earlier, in response to a lower-than-expected response with only 40,175 applications received, Pakistan decided to extend the Haj applications deadline under the government scheme.

Aneeq Ahmed, the Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, announced the extension, providing an additional 10 days for interested individuals to apply for both government and sponsorship Haj schemes.

The decision to extend the Haj applications deadline came as authorities grappled with the challenge of increasing participation in the pilgrimage, given the unexpectedly low turnout.

Minister for Religious Affairs Aneeq Ahmed acknowledged the impact of the country’s economic situation on the decline in Haj applications, despite efforts to minimise expenses and introduce short-term Haj facilities.

This year’s decrease in applications follows the return of almost 20,000 quotas to Saudi Arabia last year due to a drop in pilgrims, highlighting the ongoing challenges in facilitating the pilgrimage.

In a related development, Pakistan also lifted the mandatory requirement for a Covid vaccination certificate for next year’s Haj pilgrims. The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony shared the decision on its official Twitter handle, stating that the obligation to present a Covid vaccination certificate for the 2024 Haj pilgrimage has been eliminated.

This move aims to streamline the application process and make it more accessible for prospective pilgrims.