Govt extends Haj 2024 application deadline till Dec 22

In a bid to cater to thousands of Pakistanis aspiring to attend Haj 2024, the government on Tuesday announced the extension of the Haj application submission deadline by another 10 days till December 22 after the previous deadline expired on Tuesday (today).

In a statement, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony said that the government has also abolished the five-year ban on Haj-e-Badal — the Haj performed by a person on account of another.

Additionally, the government in its bid to attract valuable foreign exchange in the wake of depleting forex reserves, has announced that those paying their dues in dollars from abroad will be declared as "winners" without the need for ballotting.

Furthermore, the ministry also underscored that Haj applications in the sponsorship scheme are being received on a "first come first served" basis.

Additionally, the government in its bid to attract valuable foreign exchange in the wake of depleting forex reserves, has announced that those paying their dues in dollars from abroad will be declared as "winners" without the need for ballotting.

Also, pilgrims who have performed Haj in the last five years are also eligible to apply for Haj 2024.

The announcement comes after the government's decision to slash Haj expenses by Rs100,000 with the next year's pilgrimage set to cost Rs1,075,000 to around 89,605 Pakistanis expected to perform Haj under the government scheme.

Pilgrims can choose between both long and short-term packages spanning over 38 to 42 and 20 to 25 days, respectively.

Meanwhile, women, for the first time in history, will have the opportunity to undertake the sacred journey without the traditional requirement of a male companion.

Furthermore, the government would provide free-of-cost mobile SIMs with roaming internet packages to the Pakistani pilgrims.

It is pertinent to know that Pakistan has secured 179,000 Haj seats, with half reserved for private Haj operators.