Federal Cabinet Greenlights Hajj Policy, Allocates 179,210 Slots for 2025
— November 5, 2024
ISLAMABAD (AIA) The federal cabinet approved the Hajj Policy for 2025 on Tuesday, allowing 179,210 Pakistani nationals to perform Hajj next year.
Under the new policy, the Hajj quota will be evenly divided between government and private schemes. Children under 12 years of age will not be permitted to travel for Hajj, according to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office.
During the meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, officials announced that selections under the government scheme will be conducted through a computerised ballot. The policy also allocates 1,000 seats for hardship cases and 300 for labourers and low-income employees registered under the Employees Old-Age Benefit Institution or Workers Welfare Fund.
The Road to Makkah facility will be available at Islamabad and Karachi international airports. Hajj Group organisers will be required to sign a service provider agreement with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which will closely monitor compliance.
To facilitate pilgrims, a new role of Nazim (administrator) has been introduced. One Nazim will be appointed for every 100 pilgrims, selected from welfare staff.
Additionally, compensation for the heirs of deceased pilgrims has increased from 1 million to 2 million rupees, while injured pilgrims will receive 1 million rupees.
The cabinet also discussed the launch of a special Hajj Management App designed to assist pilgrims and announced arrangements for their training.
Cabinet members highlighted the importance of prioritising intended pilgrims who were unsuccessful in this year’s ballot. The meeting underscored the need for comprehensive measures to ensure the facilitation of pilgrims.
In other decisions, the cabinet approved the appointments of Saeed Iqbal, Moazzam Ahmed, Madiha Khalid, Usman Haider, and Muhammad Sajjad Farouqi as private members of the board of the Public-Private Partnership Authority. Based on the finance ministry’s recommendations, the cabinet granted post facto approval for transferring the foreign commercial financing facility from the London Interbank Offered Rate to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate.
The meeting also approved the Jammu and Kashmir Estate Property Budget for fiscal year 2024-25 and endorsed an agreement between the Directorate General of Ports and Shipping in Karachi and the Bahria Classification Society on ship classification certification.