69,534 applicants selected for Haj-2016

Islamabad

The balloting to select 69,534 lucky intending pilgrims for the Haj-2016, under Government’s Regular Haj Scheme was conducted here on Thursday.

Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf who pressed the computer keyboard to perform balloting said the branches of designated banks all over the country received 280,617 applications.

Thanks to improved arrangements for Pakistani pilgrims during the last two Haj seasons, the response to government Haj scheme had been tremendous.

The minister informed newsmen, following directives by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the government has now increased pilgrims quota for Private Haj Operators from 40 to 50 per cent.

In all, 280,617 applications were received last month against quota of 71, 684 under the Government Haj Scheme.

A total of 69,534 intending pilgrims were selected through balloting on Thursday, while remaining 2,150 cases would be decided against hardship quota of new born children, labour and broken families.

Under instructions of the prime minister, the hardship quota has further been divided on provincial basis.

Minister for Religious Affairs said that successful applicants would get information from ministry website after 10 p.m. on Thursday.

The applicants would also receive information through SMS on their given mobile phone numbers. Successful applicants will also be informed through formal letters. The successful applicants can see their names on the ministry’s website after 10 p.m. on Thursday.

The successful applicants are required to submit their machine readable passports, valid till March next year to the concerned branch of the bank by 15th of this month otherwise they would be treated as unsuccessful.

The minister said the unsuccessful said that unsuccessful applicants could approach concerned bank branch for refund of Haj dues from Friday (today).