Pakistan’s Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Aneeq Ahmed, has disclosed the outcomes of the Hajj balloting process for the upcoming pilgrimage.
A total of 69,438 applications were received for the Regular Hajj Scheme, out of which 63,805 were selected through the balloting procedure.
Ahmed highlighted efforts to curtail the Hajj package cost, resulting in a reduction of Rs 100,000 from the overall expenses.
For the 5,633 unsuccessful applicants, a waiting list has been compiled based on their respective departure cities. These individuals will have the opportunity to be chosen if applicants from their city withdraw their Hajj applications.
Notifications regarding the results will be conveyed to all applicants through mobile SMS, website notifications, or the mobile app by tonight. Additionally, the Sponsorship Scheme will persist until Sunday.
During the announcement, Aneeq Ahmed expressed that Pakistan is facilitating the shorter Hajj for the first time.
Detailing the applicant demographics, the religious minister stated that 56 percent are women while 44 percent are men.
Ahmed emphasized the provision of a suitcase with a QR code for each pilgrim to prevent the loss of belongings. Furthermore, each pilgrim will receive a 7 GB data bundle for their use.
