ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Pakistan has fully digitised its Hajj management system, allowing pilgrims to register and make payments through the Pak Hajj app.
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf announced this on Monday.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the minister also announced Hajj expenses for 2027, details of instalment payments and a new partnership with Habib Bank Limited for collecting pilgrimage expenses.
Yousuf said the government has turned the entire Hajj system digital, with pilgrims able to register online through the Pak Hajj app.
The minister said around 400,000 people are likely to move with the application process, reflecting strong interest in the government’s Hajj arrangements.
He said the digital system will also cover financial transactions, with pilgrims required to use the Hajj app rather than other payment methods.
Hajj 2027 costs
The federal minister announced that the 40- to 42-day long Hajj next year under the government scheme will cost approximately Rs1.2 million.
For the 20- to 22-day short Hajj, the cost has been announced at around Rs1.3 million.
The government has also reserved 30,000 seats for short Hajj under its scheme.
According to the minister, the first instalment of Hajj expenses will be collected from pilgrims from August 17. The second instalment will have to be deposited in the second week of October, he added.
He said applicants who are unable to perform Hajj in 2027 will be placed on a waiting list for the following year.
Payments through app
The minister said Pakistani pilgrims travelling under the private Hajj scheme will also be able to make their payments through the Pak Hajj app.
He warned that no financial transactions will be permitted through any method other than the Hajj app, as, he added, the government wants to maintain a transparent and fully digital process.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has entered into an agreement with Habib Bank Islami to collect Hajj expenses from intending pilgrims.
The agreement makes Habib Bank a partner of the Ministry of Religious Affairs in collecting pilgrimage payments for the next year’s Hajj arrangements.
