Passport issuance begins as Hajj draws near

ISLAMABAD - Passport issuance for prospective Hajj pilgrims has begun nationwide in Pakistan, sparking relief and excitement among thousands of individuals preparing for the sacred pilgrimage.

Regional passport offices opened their doors exclusively on Saturday to facilitate the smooth processing of passport applications as the issuance of passports is particularly targeted at those who selected the official Hajj package introduced by the government.

According to the Religious Affairs Ministry, the process requires biometric verification after which the passports must be submitted to the respective banks latest by February 26th. 

The authorities have introduced the Short Hajj package for the pilgrims while the Sponsorship Scheme is also valid for this year.

As far as the Long Hajj is concerned, it would encompass 38-42 days with 8 days stay in Medinah and those flying from the South region i.e. Karachi, and Sukkhur would have to pay Rs 10,65,000 while those from other cities i.e. Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan, Sialkot, Faisalabad would pay Rs 10,75,000.

For Sponsorship scheme applicants, the cost is $3765 for the South Region while it is $ 3800 for the North Region for those opting for the Long Hajj package.

For the Short Hajj package, the cost for regular Hajj applicants is Rs 11,40,000 for the South region while the cost is Rs 11,50,000 for the North region; the Hajj would continue for 20-25 days under this scheme.

For the Sponsorship Scheme, the cost for Short Hajj is $ 4015 USD for the South region and $ 4050 for North region.

The government had also sought the support of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to launch awareness campaigns to attract more and more applicants though the inflation in the country is visibly discouraging Muslims from applying for the spiritual journey.