Over 179,000 Pakistanis to perform Hajj this year: Minister.

ISLAMABAD -- Minister for Religious Affairs Mufti Abdul Shakoor said Friday that 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims would perform Hajj this year.

Announcing the Hajj policy 2023 in the federal capital during a press conference, the minister said that all possible steps are being taken to provide maximum facilities to the pilgrims.

The estimated Hajj cost for the northern region, which includes Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan, Faisalabad, Rahim Yar Khan, and Sialkot, is Rs1,175,000 while for the southern region, it is Rs1,165,000.

Giving details, the minister said that the estimated cost for the northern region under the sponsorship Hajj scheme is $4,325 and $4,285 dollars for the southern region.

In a bid to facilitate overseas Pakistanis, the minister said that this year, the government has introduced a sponsorship Hajj scheme for them.

'Under the scheme, we hope to receive $194 million,' said the religious minister.

He maintained that the government aims to start receiving the Hajj applications from March 16, while the deadline would be March 31. The Hajj draw would be conducted in the first week of April.

He said the overall national quota for this year's Hajj is 179,210 pilgrims, which would be distributed among government and private sectors with a proportion of 50-50.

The minister said that Road to Makkah project facility will continue at Islamabad Airport which is likely to be extended to Lahore and Karachi.

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