ISLAMABAD: As the December 22 deadline for Haj applications approaches, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony is taking measures to encourage greater participation from the Pakistani diaspora. The sponsorship scheme, which has received only 2,800 applications, aims to attract valuable foreign exchange amid declining forex reserves.

To address the low application count in the sponsorship scheme, along with 58,000 applications under the regular scheme, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has written to inform overseas Pakistanis about the Haj application process.

The government, eager to boost forex reserves, has allocated 25,000 seats in the sponsorship scheme, and those paying in dollars from abroad will be automatically declared as “winners” without the need for balloting. The Ministry of Information will also be sought for assistance in this regard.

In response to the low application numbers, the government extended the Hajj application deadline by 10 days from December 12 to 22. Applications can be submitted with a passport valid until December 16, 2024, and the Haj application process can also be initiated with a passport application token. Approximately 89,605 Pakistanis are expected to perform Haj under the government scheme, with a cost of around Rs1,075,000, which is Rs100,000 less than the previous year. The government has introduced both long and short-term packages, spanning 38 to 42 days and 20 to 25 days, respectively.

Notably, women now have the historic opportunity to undertake the sacred journey without the traditional requirement of a male companion. Additionally, the government plans to provide free-of-cost mobile SIMs with roaming internet packages to Pakistani pilgrims. Pakistan has secured 179,000 Haj seats, with half reserved for private Haj operators.