ISLAMABAD – In a bid to streamline the pilgrimage preparations for Haj, passport delivery counters across Pakistan are set to operate on weekends.
The announcement, made by a spokesperson for the Immigration and Passport (IMPASS) department, implied that from March 2 to March 15th, the passport offices would stay open on weekends also.
The measure aims to provide convenience and support to prospective pilgrims gearing up for the annual Haj pilgrimage.
Mustafa Jamal Qazi, the Director General of Immigration and Passports, underscored the significance of this initiative in a press release issued by the department.
The official affirmed that during the specified period, passport delivery centers would extend their services to Saturdays and Sundays, facilitating individuals planning to embark on the Hajj pilgrimage.
Furthermore, citizens seeking passport services can also avail themselves of assistance from 9 am to 1 pm on Fridays, highlighting the commitment of authorities to expedite the passport issuance process.
The commencement of passport issuance for prospective Haj pilgrims across Pakistan has brought a sense of relief and anticipation to thousands of individuals and passport offices stayed open on February 24th also to ensure the smooth processing of passport applications.
The issuance of passports is particularly aimed at the 28,000 Haj pilgrims opting for the official pilgrimage package.
According to the Religious Affairs Ministry, 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.
