ISLAMABAD – The Hajj for 2023 is around the corner and Pakistan’s federal government has finalized the policy to take the pilgrims to the holy land.
Below are the complete details regarding this year’s Hajj:
Cost
The cost of Hajj for this year per pilgrim would be Rs1.175 million for the north region and for the south region, the cost is Rs1.165 million. There has been a 68 percent increase in the cost, a rise of Rs 4,75,000 per pilgrim as compared to last year.
Quota
The total number of Hajj pilgrims this year would be 179,210. This quota would be equally distributed between the government and private Hajj schemes.
Sponsorship Scheme
Out of the government and private Hajj schemes, a quota of 50% each shall be reserved for sponsorship schemes. Sponsorship scheme means that non-resident persons would either perform Hajj on Pakistani quota or will send money to locals to finance their Hajj.
How to confirm Hajj booking
If one wants to reserve a seat for Hajj, they should do the pilgrimage under the sponsorship scheme for which they would have to deposit money in foreign currency. Booking for Hajj can be confirmed through ‘first come first serve’ basis option.
Foreign Currency Requirement
The total foreign currency requirement for 2023 Hajj is $534 million. $444 million would be contributed by sponsorship scheme while foreign exchange cover of $90 million would be done by the federal government.
Who are Ineligible for Hajj
The intending pilgrims who have performed Hajj within the last five Hajj years, i.e from 2016 to 2022, will be ineligible for Hajj 2023. However, exception to this bar exists for pilgrims under sponsorship scheme.
Hardship Cases Quota
3% of the total seats under the government scheme will be reserved for hardship cases while 300 seats will be reserved for labour and low-paid employees of companies which are registered with the EOBI and Workers Welfare Fund. A separate balloting would be conducted in this regard.
