Islamabad: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, has officially announced the Hajj policy for 2025. For the year 2025, Pakistan’s Hajj quota is set at 179,210. The distribution of the quota for government and private Hajj schemes is at a ratio of 50-50 percent, with 89,605 seats allocated for both.

According to Press Information Department, the expected cost for the government Hajj scheme is between 1,075,000 and 1,175,000 rupees. For the government scheme, the first installment of 200,000 rupees must be submitted along with the Hajj application. An additional 400,000 rupees must be deposited within ten days of the ballot, and the remaining amount must be submitted between February 1 and 10, 2025. Furthermore, 5,000 seats will be reserved for the sponsorship scheme, requiring foreign exchange through a banking channel from abroad.

The quota distribution for government and private Hajj schemes is set at 50/50 percent, translating to 89,605 each. For the private Hajj scheme, 30,000 seats will be allocated for the sponsorship scheme. The government sponsorship scheme will operate on a first-come, first-served basis and will be exempt from a lottery system. The long package for the government Hajj scheme will last from 38 to 42 days, while the short package will span from 20 to 25 days.

The foreign exchange gathered through the sponsorship scheme will only be used for Haj-related expenses in Saudi Arabia. As per Saudi regulations, every organized private Haj group must consist of at least 2,000 pilgrims to ensure better allocation of places. Another new scheme introduced is that individuals unable to deposit the full amount at once can benefit from a facility allowing installment payments.

Compensation for pilgrims has been revised, with an increase from 1 million rupees to 2 million rupees in case of death during Hajj, and compensation for serious injury raised to 1 million rupees. Additionally, for accommodation in Makkah, an additional deposit of 220,000 and 75,000 rupees per applicant will be required for double and triple bed arrangements, respectively.

A new facility is offered under the government Hajj scheme for individuals unable to deposit the complete amount in one go. The first installment of 200,000 rupees will need to be submitted along with the Hajj application, followed by an additional deposit of 400,000 rupees within ten days of the draw, with the remaining amount to be deposited between February 1 to 10, 2025.

There will be no deduction if money is withdrawn before the deadline for submitting applications, while a deduction of 50,000 rupees applies for withdrawing the first installment after the lottery draw, and a deduction of 200,000 rupees if the third installment is not submitted. In the event of an applicant’s death, the aforementioned deductions will not apply.

The Federal Minister emphasized that despite rising prices in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the costs have not increased from last year. Refunds from last year’s Hajj from the Saudi government will be transferred once received. Priority will be given to new Hajj pilgrims, with a higher likelihood of their names appearing in the lottery. Discussions are ongoing with the Saudi government to ensure that quotas allocated for Pakistani expatriates departing from Europe and Canada are not wasted and are included in the general quota.