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- Pakistan has been allocated a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the Hajj pilgrimage next year
- Applicants paid first installment in Aug., the remaining amount was to be paid by Nov. 15
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry on Monday extended the deadline to deposit second installment of Hajj dues till Nov. 19 deadline, saying that the decision was taken in view of pilgrims’ convenience.
Pakistan has been allocated a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2026. Of these, around 118,000 seats have been allocated to the government scheme and the rest to private tour operators.
Under Pakistan’s Hajj scheme, the estimated cost of the government package ranges from Rs1,150,000 to Rs1,250,000 [$4,049.93 to $4,236], subject to final agreements with service providers.
Applicants paid an initial installment of Rs500,000 ($1,764) or Rs550,000 ($1,941), depending on the selected package, in August, while the remaining amount was to be paid by November 15.
“Hajj applicants must submit mandatory dues by November 19,” the religious affairs ministry said in a statement. “Failure to submit the second installment will result in cancelation of the Hajj application.”
It urged pilgrims to obtain computerized bank receipts after depositing dues to avoid cancelation.
The development comes days after Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reached an agreement regarding Hajj 2026 arrangements, according to the Pakistani religious affairs ministry.
The agreement was signed by Saudi Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Abdul Fattah bin Sulaiman Al-Mashat and Pakistan’s Secretary for Religious Affairs Dr. Syed Atta-ur-Rehman in Jeddah.
“The Ministry of Religious Affairs is committed to completing the arrangements for the government and private Hajj schemes in a timely and effective manner as per the instructions of the Saudi government,” Rehman said, thanking the Saudi government for efforts to facilitate pilgrims and expressing hopes about provision of quality services to Pakistani pilgrims next year as well.