Govt alarmed as only 2,800 applications received in sponsorship scheme

• Govt has allotted 25,000 seats for the sponsorship scheme.
• These paying in {dollars} from overseas are “exempted” from ballotting.
• Ministry to hunt assist to enlighten diaspora on software course of.

Because the December 22 Haj software deadline attracts close to, the Ministry of Non secular Affairs and Interfaith Concord has determined to hunt help to make sure elevated participation of the Pakistani diaspora after solely 2,800 Haj functions had been obtained within the sponsorship scheme.

The federal government in its bid to draw beneficial international change within the wake of depleting foreign exchange reserves, has allotted 25,000 seats within the sponsorship scheme and people paying their dues in {dollars} from overseas will probably be declared as “winners” with out the necessity for ballotting.

With such a low software rely within the sponsorship scheme — coupled with 58,000 functions obtained underneath the common scheme — the Ministry of Non secular Affairs has determined to avail the assistance of the Ministry of Abroad Pakistanis and the Ministry of Info to enlighten abroad Pakistanis in regards to the Haj software submitting course of.

The event comes as the federal government prolonged the Hajj software deadline by 10 days from December 12 to 22 earlier this week.

The functions will be submitted on a passport legitimate until December 16, 2024, and the Haj software may also be processed on a passport software token.

Round 89,605 Pakistanis are anticipated to carry out Haj underneath the federal government scheme which can value round Rs1,075,000 — Rs100,000 lower than that of the earlier yr.

Moreover, the federal government has additionally launched each lengthy and short-term packages spanning over 38 to 42 and 20 to 25 days, respectively.

In the meantime, girls, for the primary time in historical past, can have the chance to undertake the sacred journey with out the standard requirement of a male companion.

Moreover, the federal government would offer free-of-cost cell SIMs with roaming web packages to the Pakistani pilgrims.

It’s pertinent to know that Pakistan has secured 179,000 Haj seats, with half reserved for personal Haj operators.