The government has extended the deadline for Hajj applications to December 10 due to lower-than-anticipated number of Hajj submissions.
Ministry of Religious Affairs has issued the notification to extend the timeline of submission of Hajj applications as by so far the expected number of applications is not met. Previously the deadline to submit the Hajj applications was December 3 that has now been extended to December 10.
Religious Affairs Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain announced that all Hajj applications submitted under the government scheme have been approved. He also confirmed that applications received between November 18 and December 3 have been accepted.
Moreover the applicants who applied under Sponsorship Scheme are also selected for Hajj without a ballot.
As per reports the department received over 54,000 applications nationwide this year. This figure falls short of the target set by the Hajj policy, Ministry spokesperson stated.
According to the 2025 Hajj policy, a total of 179,210 Pakistanis will go for pilgrimage. The quota is equally divided, with 89,605 slots allocated to both the government and private Hajj schemes. Within the government scheme, 5,000 seats are reserved for the Sponsorship Scheme.
The religious affairs ministry has also allowed pilgrims for the first time to pay Hajj fees in installments. Applicants must initially deposit Rs200,000 with their application, followed by a second installment of Rs400,000 for those selected. Pilgrims will submit the remaining amount by February 10, 2025.
Government has also declared to reduce airfares for pilgrims of Hajj 2025 quota. This year pilgrims will pay Rs220,000 for airfare, instead of last year’s Rs234,000. The overall Hajj cost is estimated to range between Rs1,075,000 and Rs1,175,000.
The ministry spokesperson also disclosed that the department will finalize Hajj flight schedule once the application process concludes.
