ISLAMABAD – The government of Pakistan has officially revealed the number of Pakistanis who will be performing Hajj under the govt scheme this year.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf elaborated that 90,000 Pakistanis will perform Hajj this year under the official government scheme.
Regarding the Hajj operation, the minister said Hajj flights are expected to begin from April 29th onward, adding that preparations, including vaccinations and training, are well underway.
As far as the training is concerned, the minister highlighted that the training sessions will start on April 8th, with pilgrims being briefed on essential health protocols and vaccination requirements.
The lawmaker also told newsmen that he had met Saudi officials for reviewing the Hajj arrangements, clarifying that issuance of Umrah visas are usually suspended before Hajj to ensure smooth pilgrimage operations.
It is to be mentioned that for this year’s Hajj, the government has set cost at Rs1,150,000 for short-term Hajj while the cost for long-term Hajj has been set at Rs1,050,000. The total number of seats allocated to Pakistan for this year’s Hajj is 179,210 which includes the seats allocated to private tour operators as well.
