Islamabad, Dec. 27 (TNS): The government on Wednesday announced the new Hajj Policy under which 1, 79, 210 Pakistani intending pilgrims will perform Hajj this year.
Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf announced the policy at a news conference in Islamabad on Wednesday.
The Federal Cabinet has already approved the new Hajj policy.
The Minister said that 1, 20,000 intending pilgrims will be selected under government scheme while 59,210 will be selected under private hajj scheme.
He said applications will be received from 15th to 24th of the next month. The balloting will be conducted on 26th of next month. He said ten thousand intending pilgrims above 80 years will be selected through separate ballot and if the number exceeds then the senior in age will be preferred.
Similarly ten thousand applications will be selected among those applicants who could not succeed in the last three years and their applications will also be included in the general balloting.
Sardar Muhammad Yousaf said that Hajj package 2018 for North region is 2, 80,000 rupees and 2, 70,000 rupees for South region. Each intending pilgrim will deposit additional 13,050 rupees for sacrificial animal.
There will be no change in the hajj package but the stay may be reduced from 38 to 30 days. He said the Hajj applications will be received through branches of the selected banks.
Sardar Yusuf said the international readable passport, computerized CNIC and medical certificate will be compulsory for the intending pilgrims. He said that the expiry of the machine readable passport is 20th February 2019.
He said two percent seats of the government scheme quota will be fulfilled on ‘hardship’ basis. He said that under this criterion 500 persons with low income whose departments will be registered with workers’ welfare fund and EOBI, will be selected for Hajj.
The Minister said it will be compulsory for intending pilgrims to stick the sticker of Pakistani identity on their Ahraam so that they may be recognized easily.
