Islamabad-(Mudassar Iqbal): The federal cabinet, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has approved Pakistan’s Hajj Policy for 2025.
This decision was made during a cabinet session that addressed a 12-point agenda on various national matters.
The approved draft will be forwarded to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which will soon make the official announcement. According to the new policy, 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims will be allowed to perform Hajj in 2025.
The Hajj package will range between Rs1.065 million and Rs1.075 million. The pilgrimage quota will be evenly divided, with 50% for the government Hajj scheme and the remaining 50% for the private scheme. The government quota will be distributed through a computerized lucky draw.
For the sponsorship scheme, 5,000 quotas will go to the government, while 25,000 will be allocated to the private sector. Under the Hajj Policy 2025, children under the age of 12 will not be permitted to travel for Hajj. Additionally, 1,000 seats will be reserved for hardship cases, and 300 seats will be allocated for low-income workers.
A new Hajj management app has been developed to assist pilgrims, and the “Road to Makkah” service will be available at Islamabad and Karachi airports.
According to the cabinet declaration, Hajj group organizers will contract with the Ministry of Religious Affairs as service providers, and this time, a designated nazim will oversee facilities for pilgrims. Each group of 100 pilgrims will have an assigned administrator selected from the welfare staff.
Compensation has also been increased for those who are injured or lose their lives during Hajj. Families of deceased pilgrims will receive compensation between Rs1 million to Rs2 million, and injured pilgrims will receive Rs1 million.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs has been instructed to announce the policy officially and provide the schedule for application submissions.
The cabinet also reviewed a report from the committee on maintaining price stability in the urea fertilizer market, approved new members for the Public Private Partnership Board, discussed signing memorandums of understanding with three countries, and addressed the nation’s current political and economic conditions.
Additionally, the government recently proposed a new measure aimed at assisting low- and middle-income citizens who wish to perform Hajj. The proposal allows pilgrims to pay for Hajj in three installments rather than one lump sum.
According to sources, the plan would enable applicants to pay Rs1.1 million in three stages. Initially, applicants would deposit Rs200,000 with their Hajj application. After selection in the lucky draw, they would pay an additional Rs400,000, with the remaining amount to be paid at a later stage.
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