Govt unveils final cost of Haj packages

The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony on Tuesday unveiled the final cost for the long and short Haj packages for the year 2025.

The development came days after Islamabad and Riyadh signed the annual Haj agreement 2025 to provide the best facilities to Pakistani pilgrims. Under the agreement, 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims would perform Haj this year. It has also been agreed to provide the best facilities to Pakistani pilgrims, who would be offered special accommodation in Mina at reduced rates.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the religious ministry said today that the final cost for long and short Haj pilgrimage was fixed at Rs1,075,000 and Rs1,150,000 respectively. “Third instalment of Haj dues would be received from February 1-10,” the spokesperson added. “Few seats to the government Haj scheme are still available,” the ministry said, adding that the seats would be filled on a first-come, first-served basis by January 30.

New applications would be entertained only for the long Haj package as booking for the short Haj package had already been completed. The spokesperson added that the booking process for private Haj pilgrims would continue till the end of this month.

According to a ministry official, as of January 18 only 1,380 seats under the government’s regular scheme were left for which applications, along with Rs600,000 payments as first two instalments, would be received. The government from January 10, through designated banks, had started receiving applications under the regular scheme on remaining 4,500 seats on first-come first-served basis. The religious ministry had also written to private Haj operators to seek approval for Haj packages of over Rs3 million.