Islamabad:
The government will begin to receive applications for the official Hajj scheme from August 4 after the Federal Cabinet’s approval of Hajj policy 2026.
Elections are made after a first-come, first-served basis in line with the Saudi timeline.
The Federal Minister of Religious Affairs and Interreligious Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf said Pakistan has been awarded a quota of 179,210 pilgrims – 119,210 under the government scheme and 60,000 to private operators subject to the final confirmation of Saudi authorities.
The government scheme will include both the traditional 38-42-day package and a shorter 20-25 day opportunity. Estimated costs are expected to vary between RS1.15 million and RS1.25 million, depending on the final agreements with service providers.
Pilgrims must deposit Hajj quota in two installments with the first installment – RS500,000 to the long package and RS550,000 to the short through designated banks, he added.
Minister Yousaf said applicants must have valid Pakistani passports until at least November 26, 2026, and children under the age of 12 are not eligible for Hajj this year. He said all pilgrims should be vaccinated with Saudi-approved vaccines.
He said the ‘Road to Makkah’ initiative will continue in Islamabad and Karachi Airports. He said overseas Pakistanis are allowed to transfer Hajj payments to nominated bank accounts under the scheme. Policy mandates mandatory animal sacrifices through the official Saudi system, he added.
Minister Yousaf said private Hajj operators, including dependent Hajj companies (DHCs), will be subject to strict financial protection measures and transparent digital supervision.
He said these operators must enter service provider agreements with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony and operate during real -time data monitoring to ensure transparency, prevent double bookings and ensure timely services.
He said a third-party audit system will evaluate the results of both government and private Hajj schemes. Punjab Information Technology Board continues to operational digital support, with the Ministry of IT supervision of supervision through NITB, he added.
Minister Yousaf said further measures include the implementation of emergency teams, the continuation of the “Hajj Guardian scheme” to compensate pilgrims for losses, mandatory training in logistics, rituals and emergency protocols and a fully digitized complaintsal mechanism.
He said ‘Pack the Hajj app’ and the guideline will help pilgrims with updates and issue resolution throughout the Hajj process. Hajj policy 2026 will help ensure a transparent, effective and spiritually fulfilling experience for all Pakistani pilgrims through digitization, regulation and improved service delivery mechanisms, he maintained.
Hajj policy 2026 includes a 70% government quota and a 3% quota of 30%. It was emphasized that in the previous year after the previous year, private companies will ensure the participation of pilgrims missed Hajj in 2025.
