Record number of Hajj applications received

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has received a record-breaking number of 374,829 Hajj applications for the Government Hajj scheme 2018.

Out of the total 120,000 applications will be selected through balloting on January 26.

A senior official from the ministry said the highest number of applications totaling 81,985 came from Karachi, followed by Lahore with 72,483. Third highest was Islamabad with 67,896 applications. Other cities to note with a large number of applications are Peshawar, Multan, Quetta, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Sukkur, and Rahimyar Khan.

Soon after the new Hajj policy was approved by the Cabinet and announced by the federal minister for religious affairs in December 2017, the ministry started receiving applications at designated bank branches from January 15 till January 24 across the country.

Under the new Hajj policy the cost for the pilgrimage will be the same as last year. Pilgrims from Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa will be Rs280, 000 and from Sindh and Balochistan Rs270,000.

“Considering the increase in the tax imposed by the Saudi Government which has caused an increase in the inflation it won’t be easy for the Ministry of Religious Affairs to provide best possible accommodation and transport facilities, but this year it has been decided that the government of Pakistan will bear the rest of the extra expenses,” he said.

Millions of Muslims from around the world go to the Makkah, Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.