ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday announced that there will be no balloting for Hajj this year as the number of applications received is far less than the seats available.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, along with Minister for Religious Affairs Mufti Abdul Shakoor, stated that all Haj applications under the government scheme will be accepted without balloting. This decision was made as only 72,869 applications were received against a quota of 44,190.
The government plans to accept all applications of intending pilgrims, and extra foreign exchange reserves for Hajj pilgrims will be provided with the support of the State Bank of Pakistan. The government has allocated around 45,000 seats under the sponsorship scheme, but only around 6,000 applications were received under this scheme, leaving around 10,000 seats vacant.
Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Mufti Abdul Shakoor’s policy statement on Haj Scheme 2023.
No ballotting this year. All intended applicants are considered for performing Haj this year. pic.twitter.com/3MnGeAHags— Ministry of Finance (@FinMinistryPak) April 6, 2023
The intending pilgrims have been asked to pray for the progress and prosperity of the country.
Every year, millions of Muslims from all over the world gather in Mecca to perform Haj, and Pakistan is no exception. The government of Pakistan has been organizing Hajj under its official scheme for many years now, and the number of applications received for Haj has been increasing every year.
However, this year the number of applications received under the government scheme was far less than expected, leaving a large number of seats vacant.
The cost of performing Haj has increased significantly in recent years, and many people cannot afford to perform Hajj under the government scheme.
