ISLAMABAD: The aspirant pilgrims have submitted 16,700 Hajj applications since the submission process was started from March 16, in the designated banks across the country.
Giving the break up, an official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) and Interfaith Harmony on Tuesday informed that as many as 15,600 applications were received under the regular Government Hajj Scheme while 1,100 applications were processed under Sponsorship Hajj Scheme.
He, in a talk with APP, said the ratio of Hajj application receipts were increasing with every passing day as on Tuesday, the ministry witnessed more than 6,000 Hajj applications in a single day.
He said to participate in the Sponsorship Hajj Scheme, the dues must be remitted to any dollar account of the religious affairs ministry mentioning the applicant’s name, computerized national identity card and contact numbers. It took two or three business days to transfer money from abroad, he added.
The official said due to deduction of bank commission in Sponsorship Hajj Scheme, the difference of up to 80 dollars could be deposited in Pakistani rupees as per standing instructions of the ministry to the banks.
He said religious affairs ministry was in constant contact with four Hajj helplines and designated banks for the convenience of applicants.
He made it clear that a proposal to defer medical fitness certificates for overseas Pakistanis until their arrival in Pakistan was under consideration.
