The Ministry of Religious Affairs has directed the Hajj operators included in the private Hajj 2027 scheme to immediately activate the packages as per their allocated quota. The ministry has set a deadline of August 31 for this process.
The ministry has also issued a letter to registered Hajj companies. In it, they have been directed to activate different Hajj package categories on the Hajj Management System according to their allocated quota.
According to sources, 71,684 seats have been allocated for the private Hajj scheme. However, only 54 pilgrims made reservations in the first five days of the start of booking. Thus, about 99.9 percent of the private scheme quota has not been used yet.
The government has set Pakistan’s total quota for Hajj 2027 at 179,210 pilgrims. Of this, 60 percent, i.e. 107,526 seats, are allocated for the government Hajj scheme and 40 percent, i.e. 71,684 seats, are allocated for the private scheme.
The ministry has clarified that action can be taken against companies that do not activate the packages within the stipulated period. It is also possible to consider withdrawing the inactive quota and giving it to other eligible Hajj companies. In some cases, the possibility of transferring some of this quota to the government Hajj scheme has also been expressed.
The ministry has also emphasised the digital system in the implementation of Hajj 2027. According to the Minister of Religious Affairs, pilgrims of the private scheme will be able to use the Pak Hajj app or the Hajj portal for payment. The aim is to make the payment process easier and more transparent.
In a significant change, pilgrims will also be able to choose private Hajj packages for the first time through the website of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. It has also been made mandatory for private Hajj companies to highlight their packages on the ministry’s website for the coming years.
The deadline set by the ministry is aimed at activating a large part of the private Hajj scheme in a timely manner and giving pilgrims the opportunity to choose from the available packages.
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