ISLAMABAD, Wednesday, July 30, 2025 (WNP): Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf on Wednesday announced that the federal cabinet has formally approved the Hajj Policy 2026, outlining key procedural, financial, and logistic measures for the pilgrimage season.

Addressing a press conference here, the minister informed that the government will begin collecting applications under the official Hajj scheme from August 4, and the selection will be made strictly on a “first-come, first-served” basis in line with the Saudi timeline. He said a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims allocated for Pakistan – 119,210 under the government scheme and 60,000 for private operators, pending final confirmation by Saudi authorities.

Minister Yousaf said the government scheme will offer both the traditional 38–42-day package and a shorter 20–25-day option. He said estimated costs will range between Rs 1.15 to 1.25 million, depending on the finalized agreements with service providers. Pilgrims will be required to deposit the Hajj dues in two installments, with the first installment – Rs 500,000 for the long package and Rs 550,000 for the short one  through designated banks, he added.

Minister Yousaf said applicants must hold valid Pakistani passports until at least November 26, 2026, and children under 12 years of age will not be eligible for Hajj this year. He said all pilgrims must be vaccinated with Saudi-approved vaccines. He said the ‘Road to Makkah’ initiative will continue at Islamabad and Karachi airports. He said overseas Pakistanis will be allowed to remit Hajj payments to nominated bank accounts under the scheme. The policy mandates compulsory animal sacrifice payments through the official Saudi system, he added.

Minister Yousaf said private Hajj operators, including Dependent Hajj Companies (DHCs), will be subject to strict financial safeguards and transparent digital oversight. He said these operators must enter service provider agreements with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony and operate under real-time data monitoring to ensure transparency, prevent double bookings, and ensure timely services. He said a third-party audit system will evaluate the performance of both government and private Hajj schemes. The Punjab Information Technology Board will continue operational digital support, with the Ministry of IT overseeing supervision through NITB, he added.

Minister Yousaf said further measures include the deployment of emergency response teams, the continuation of the “Hajj Guardian Scheme” to compensate pilgrims for losses, mandatory training on logistics, rituals, and emergency protocols, and a fully digitized complaint redressal mechanism. He said the ‘Pak Hajj App’ and helpline will assist pilgrims with updates and issue resolution throughout the Hajj process.

The Hajj Policy 2026 will help ensure a transparent, efficient, and spiritually fulfilling experience for all Pakistani pilgrims through digitization, regulation, and improved service delivery mechanisms, he maintained.