Haj Expenses
ISLAMABAD: In a noteworthy development, the federal government announced the Haj Policy 2024, revealing a substantial reduction of Rs100,000 in Haj expenses compared to the previous year. Minister for Religious Affairs Aneeq Ahmad presented the key features of the Haj Policy-2024, stating that scheduled banks would accept applications under the regular scheme from November 27 to December 12.
Minister Aneeq Ahmad highlighted that, in addition to the existing long-duration Haj package spanning 38 to 42 days, the government has introduced a shorter duration package of 20 to 25 days. Under the government scheme, the cost of Haj has been reduced to Rs1,075,000 for the upcoming pilgrimage, down from Rs1,175,000 for the current year.
The minister assured that despite the reduction in expenses, there would be no compromise on the quality of arrangements. However, an additional amount of Rs75,000 would be charged for the short-duration package. For applicants from the southern region, the Haj expenses would be Rs1,065,000, with an additional Rs75,000 for the short-duration package. An additional charge of Rs60,000 would be applied for sacrificial animals.
Minister Aneeq Ahmed disclosed that the Haj quota for Pakistan stands at 17,9210, to be equally distributed between the government and private Haj schemes. Ongoing negotiations with airlines aim to secure reduced airfare for the Haj operation, with potential savings to be transferred to pilgrims’ accounts.
Notably, the Haj Policy allows women without a Mehram to apply for Haj, based on the recommendations of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII). However, these women must obtain permission from their parents or husbands and select a group with trustworthy individuals. Applicants who have performed Haj in the last five years are ineligible, except for Mehram-accompanied women on their first Haj and those applying under the sponsorship scheme.
Both government and private schemes have a quota of 89,605 each, with 25,000 from the government scheme reserved for the sponsorship scheme. The digitalization of Haj 2024 includes a mobile application with offline functionality, featuring complaint lodgment options. Pilgrims will receive free items, including a SIM with seven GB of data, a suitcase with QR code, Ihram belts for men, Abaya for women, and shoe bags.
Minister Aneeq Ahmad added that, in addition to Islamabad airport, Karachi has been included in the Road to Makkah project, and efforts are underway to include Lahore in this initiative. The Road to Makkah project involves Saudi teams conducting immigration, security, and customs checks for pilgrims before their departure for Saudi Arabia.
