As the deadline draws near, a lot of people are applying to the Pakistani government’s sponsorship programme for this year’s Hajj.
26,000 Hajj applications have been submitted overall to banks across the country, according to reliable sources, whereas only 2000 people applied under the Sponsorship Plan.
Under the Sponsorship Plan, abroad Pakistanis can either testify that they are medically fit and present the fitness certificate before boarding the plane for this year’s Hajj, or they can submit the medical fitness certificate received from the nation in which they now reside.
Individuals who plan to perform the Hajj this year must be immunised against many diseases, and those who receive their immunisations overseas are also eligible.
Those who donate foreign exchange under the Sponsorship Plan need not be blood relatives of the intending pilgrims; credentials like the name, CNIC number, and contact number of the intending pilgrims need to be stated as well. Banks would also receive applications on March 25 and 26.
Those who want to make the Hajj would have to make the sacrifice on their own, and a coupon could be purchased in Saudi Arabia for between SR700 and SR1,000.
The overseas Pakistanis who want to apply under the standard system can do so through a designated person in the nation, and in order to take advantage of any government discounts, a bank account must be set up and functioning in the nation.
Pakistan has a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the Hajj in 2023. For the first time since Covid, the Saudi Arabian government has increased the number of pilgrims.
It is important to note that a 50% quota has been set aside for the Sponsorship Scheme, a unique service provided to Hajj pilgrims looking to get foreign currency from overseas through the designated dollar account of the Religious Affairs Ministry.
According to the plan, Pakistanis living abroad would be free from the ordinary voting procedure, but putting money from Pakistan is prohibited. The “first come, first served” policy would apply to the use of this facility.
Also, 3% (2,688) of the total seats under the government’s Hajj programme will be set aside for cases of extreme difficulty, such as new babies or families in disarray.
However, Mahram of women performing the Hajj for the first time will be free from this restriction. Pilgrims who have attended the Hajj in the previous five years are not eligible to apply under the standard Hajj plan this year.
The Saudi Arabian government is completing preparations for the Hajj, the largest religious gathering in the country, which will take place in June of this year.
