Haj 2024: Govt alarmed as only 2,800 applications received under sponsorship scheme

By Our Correspondent
December 18, 2023

ISLAMABAD: As the December 22 Haj application deadline draws nearer, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has decided to seek assistance to ensure increased participation of Pakistani diaspora after only 2,800 Haj applications were received under the sponsorship scheme.

Muslim pilgrims pray around the holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque ahead of the annual haj pilgrimage in Mecca. — AFP/file
Muslim pilgrims pray around the holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque ahead of the annual haj pilgrimage in Mecca. — AFP/file

The government, in its bid to attract valuable foreign exchange, has allocated 25,000 seats in the sponsorship scheme. Those paying their dues in dollars from abroad will be declared “winners” without the need for ballotting.

With such a low application count in the sponsorship scheme — coupled with 58,000 applications received under the regular scheme — the Ministry of Religious Affairs has written to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis to enlighten the nationals living abroad about the Haj application filing process, Geo News reported.

The ministry — after approaching interior and foreign ministries — has also decided to seek the assistance of the Ministry of Information in this regard. The development comes as the government extended the Haj application deadline by 10 days from December 12 to 22 earlier this week.

The applications can be submitted on a passport valid till December 16, 2024, and the Haj application can also be processed on a passport application token. Around 89,605 Pakistanis are expected to perform Haj under the government scheme which will cost around Rs1,075,000 — Rs100,000 less than the previous year. Furthermore, the government has also introduced both long and short-term packages spanning over 38 to 42 and 20 to 25 days, respectively. Meanwhile, women, for the first time in history, will have the opportunity to 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 to the Pakistani pilgrims. It is pertinent to know that Pakistan has secured 179,000 Haj seats, with half reserved for private Haj operators.