Islamabad: With just a few days left before the October 17 deadline, over 16,000 seats under the private Hajj scheme remain unbooked, according to the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
The ministry confirmed that booking under the private scheme will continue until the deadline, after which the online portal will close. Private Hajj operators have been instructed to complete all bookings promptly.
So far, 44,000 pilgrims have confirmed their bookings under the scheme, while 16,000 seats are still available from the total quota of 60,000 allotted to private operators. The quota was earlier reduced from 90,000.
Officials said that 21,654 pilgrims who were previously unable to perform Hajj will also be given the opportunity this year. Private operators began bookings on September 19.
According to ministry data, 37,903 new applicants are eligible to apply under the private Hajj scheme for 2026. Additionally, 22,097 pilgrims from last year, who could not travel, have been re-registered to ensure priority this time.
The Ministry has made it mandatory for private operators to submit affidavits confirming that they have first accommodated the leftover pilgrims before accepting new applications.
For the government Hajj scheme, the Ministry of Religious Affairs received 118,060 applications from across the country. The submission phase ended within 17 days due to the high number of applicants.
Applicants were allowed to choose between short and long-duration Hajj trips. The first installment, covering about 50% of the total cost, has already been collected. The second installment is due on November 1, 2025.
Experts estimate the total cost under the government Hajj scheme to be between PKR 1.15 million and PKR 1.25 million, depending on the applicant’s region and duration of stay.
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