Pakistan Fixes 2027 Hajj Fare at Rs1.2m, Rs1.3m, Moves Process Online
By Abdulrazaq Auwal
Pakistan has fixed the cost of its 2027 Hajj packages at between Rs1.2 million and Rs1.3 million (that’s around N3.6 and N3.9 million) as the government moves applications, payments and other pilgrimage processes fully onto the Pak Hajj mobile application.
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf announced the package costs at a press conference in Islamabad, saying pilgrims opting for the 40-to-42-day package will pay Rs1.2 million, while those choosing the shorter 20-to-22-day package will pay Rs1.3 million.
The government has allocated 30,000 seats for the short Hajj package, while around 400,000 registered pilgrims are currently progressing through the application process.
Yousuf said pilgrims will begin paying their first instalment on August 17, with the second instalment scheduled for the second week of October. Applicants who fail to secure a place for the 2027 pilgrimage will join the waiting list for the following year.
The minister also named Habib Bank Islamic as the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ authorised banking partner for Hajj payments. The ministry and the bank will sign the agreement on Monday.
Pakistan Fixes 2027 Hajj Fare at Rs1.2m, Rs1.3m, Moves Process Online
According to Yousuf, the ministry invited banks to participate in the payment arrangement, but Habib Bank was the only institution that met the required conditions, particularly its digital payment capacity.
He said pilgrims under both government and private Hajj schemes will use the Pak Hajj application for financial transactions. Private pilgrims, however, can select their preferred service provider from approved online companies.
Habib Bank Islamic’s head, Asad Khan, said 99 per cent of the bank’s branches nationwide would provide digital payment facilities, while pilgrims could also pay using debit and credit cards.
Khan said the bank operates more than 1,700 branches and would not charge pilgrims fees for Hajj payments under its Islamic banking arrangement.
