Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Chaudhry Salik Hussain on Tuesday announced a reduction in Hajj package costs, providing financial relief to aspiring pilgrims.
Addressing the media, flanked by Additional Secretary Syed Atta-ur-Rehman, at the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, he informed that the cost of the 40-day long Hajj package has been reduced by Rs25,000, bringing the total to Rs.1,050,000.
Pilgrims opting for this package will need to pay a third instalment of Rs450,000.
Similarly, Salik said the 25-day short Hajj package has been further reduced by Rs50,000, setting the new price at Rs1,100,000.
The third instalment for this package will be Rs500,000.
He said all pilgrims are required to submit their third instalment at the designated banks between February 6 to 14.
The country has introduced a short Hajj programme of 20 to 25 days to make the journey more accessible, easier, and comfortable which would enable pilgrims to choose their accommodation in Madinah for four to eight days.
The religious ministry has also ensured that every pilgrim will receive a notification regarding their payment status through the “Pak Hajj” mobile application, he added.
In another major development, the minister announced the refund of over Rs4.75 billion to the pilgrims who performed Hajj in 2024. He said the refunds have been categorised into seven different groups, based on factors such as accommodation in Mina, lodging in Makkah, and Maktab C allocation.
