To facilitate citizens, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced that designated banks will remain open on Saturday, November 30 and December 1 to receive applications for Hajj 2025 across the country.
According to an SBP circular issued today, branches of designated banks will remain operational from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday to facilitate collection of Hajj applications as well as dues from prospective pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs has designated 15 banks to collect applications and Hajj contributions from prospective pilgrims for Hajj 2025 from November 18, 2024 to December 3, 2024, across the country.
Around 179,210 Pakistanis will perform Hajj under the government scheme next year, at a cost of between Rs 1,075,000 and Rs 1,175,000.
Religious Affairs Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain said 179,210 Pakistanis will perform Hajj, while citizens below the age of 12 will not be allowed to travel for the holy pilgrimage.
Detailing the expected expenses of a pilgrim to visit the holiest places in Saudi Arabia, the minister announced that they would vary between Rs 1,075,000 and Rs 1,175,000.
A pilgrim will have to submit Rs 200,000 along with his Hajj application and deposit Rs 400,000 after being selected through balloting, while the remaining payments will be paid by February 10, 2025.
In case of cancellation, refund of the first installment will be made after a deduction of Rs50,000, while Rs200,000 will be deducted in case of default in payment of the third installment and no refund will be made after February 10, 2025.
As part of this policy, the compensation for the heirs of the deceased was increased from Rs1 million to Rs2 million, the minister said.
Under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, members of the federal cabinet gave the green light to the Hajj 2025 policy last week.
As per the policy, 1,000 seats would be allocated to difficult cases and 300 to low-income workers and employees registered with the Employees’ Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) or the Workers’ Welfare Fund, it added. -he.
The Makkah route facilities would be available at Islamabad and Karachi international airports.
Hajj group organizers would sign a service delivery agreement with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which would be strictly monitored.
It was said that a new portfolio of Nazim (administrator) was introduced to facilitate the pilgrims. A Nazim will be designated for each group of 100 pilgrims, who will be selected from the social staff.
The cabinet members were informed that a special Hajj management application has been developed to facilitate pilgrims and arrangements have been made for their training.