Pakistan has moved towards a completely digital Hajj management system, enabling intending pilgrims to complete registration and make pilgrimage-related payments through the official Pak Hajj mobile application, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf announced on Monday. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, the minister outlined the government’s preparations for Hajj 2027, including the estimated cost of pilgrimage packages, payment schedules, allocation of seats for short-duration Hajj and arrangements for collecting payments from pilgrims. He said the government had taken steps to bring the entire Hajj process onto a digital platform in an effort to make registration, payments and other administrative procedures easier, more transparent and traceable. According to the minister, approximately 400,000 people have already registered and are currently progressing through the application process for the government’s Hajj arrangements. Hajj 2027 packages and costs Sardar Yousuf announced that the estimated expenditure for the regular government Hajj package, which will cover a stay of around 40 to 42 days, has been set at approximately Rs1.2 million. The cost of the shorter package, designed for pilgrims opting for a stay of approximately 20 to 22 days, will be around Rs1.3 million, he said. The government has allocated 30,000 seats specifically for pilgrims opting for the short-duration Hajj package. The minister said the government would begin collecting the first instalment of Hajj expenses from August 17, while the second instalment would be payable during the second week of October. He added that applicants who are not selected to perform Hajj in 2027 would be placed on a waiting list for consideration in the subsequent year. Payments to be processed digitally The minister said the digitalisation programme would cover financial transactions as well as the registration process. Pilgrims would be required to use the Pak Hajj application for making payments instead of relying on other payment channels. The same digital mechanism will also be available to pilgrims travelling under the private Hajj scheme, allowing them to make their payments through the application. Sardar Yousuf emphasised that the government intends to keep Hajj-related financial transactions within the designated digital system to improve monitoring and ensure greater transparency. Pilgrims opting for the private scheme, however, will retain the option of selecting an online Hajj service provider of their choice. Habib Bank selected for Hajj payments As part of the new financial arrangements, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has entered into an agreement with Habib Bank Islami to facilitate the collection of Hajj payments. The minister said the bank would work with the ministry as its authorised banking partner for receiving pilgrimage-related funds under the arrangements being introduced for the upcoming Hajj season. He expressed satisfaction over the partnership and said the agreement would formally be signed on Monday. Minister responds to question over bank selection During the press conference, a journalist questioned the ministry’s decision to authorise Habib Bank as the banking partner for collecting Hajj applications and payments, asking why other banks had not been selected. Responding to the question, Sardar Yousuf said the ministry had opened the process to banks and invited them to participate. He explained that the banks that submitted applications were evaluated against the ministry’s requirements. According to the minister, Habib Bank was the only institution that fulfilled the required criteria, particularly those related to digital payment facilities. He said other participating banks were unable to meet the ministry’s stipulated requirements, which ultimately led to Habib Bank being selected as the authorised partner. Government seeks greater transparency through digital system The government believes the new digital framework will reduce paperwork and simplify several stages of the Hajj process for Pakistani pilgrims. By shifting registration and payment procedures to a centralised digital platform, the Ministry of Religious Affairs aims to improve oversight of applications and financial transactions while reducing the scope for manual errors. The integration of both government and private Hajj arrangements into the app-based system is also expected to provide pilgrims with easier access to information and payment services.
