The second phase of Hajj application submissions began across the country on Monday. The Ministry of Religious Affairs started receiving applications through its online portal and designated banks.According to the ministry, Hajj applications accompanied by the first instalment of expenses will be accepted until August 16, and in this second phase, unregistered pilgrims will also be able to submit applications.Application collection will be halted as soon as the government scheme quota is reached.

The second instalment of the Hajj package will be collected from pilgrims on November 1.Only those born before March 1, 2014, will be eligible to perform Hajj. Female pilgrims will be permitted to perform Hajj without a mahram by submitting the prescribed form available from banks. Pilgrims will also be able to apply and pay for their Hajj expenses online from the comfort of their homes.Overseas Pakistanis can also secure their Hajj entry through a close relative at nominated banks. Expatriates will be required to submit their medical fitness certificates upon arrival in Pakistan.

Once the allocated quota is filled, the ministry will announce the suspension of Hajj application collection. Saudi Arabia has allocated a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Pakistan’s 2026 Hajj. Of these, 129,210 spots are reserved under the government scheme, while the remaining quota is assigned to private tour operators. Under the government scheme, applicants can choose between a long-duration Hajj package of 38 to 42 days and a shorter option of 20 to 25 days. The estimated costs for these packages range from Rs 1,150,000 to Rs 1,250,000 (approximately $4,050 to $4,236). 

The first instalment was collected from pilgrims across the country between August 4 and 9. Registered pilgrims opting for the long package paid Rs500,000, while those choosing the short package paid Rs550,000. The government has decided to receive Hajj applications from unregistered pilgrims due to concerns that the Hajj target of 1.2 million will not be achieved from the current 450,000 registered pilgrims. According to sources, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has taken this step to boost the number of applications before the quota expires.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)