ISLAMABAD: A visible increase has been observed in bookings under the private Hajj scheme following the intervention of the Monitoring Section of the Ministry of Religious Affairs in response to complaints lodged by intending pilgrims against private Hajj companies.
According to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the number of applications received through the Pak Hajj App has reached 21,547, while 50,000 slots are still available under the private Hajj scheme.
The ministry has urged private Hajj pilgrims to complete the payment of their dues through the Pak Hajj App.
Direct payments to individuals or companies are prohibited.
Approximately Rs18 billion has been transferred to the accounts of authorized companies through the Hajj portal, the spokesperson said.
Forty-five percent of the funds were deposited through digital channels, while 55 percent were paid through manual bank challans.
It may be mentioned that the deadline for registration under the private Hajj scheme through the Hajj portal is November 20.
More than 2,000 Hajj packages from 25 authorized companies are available on the Hajj portal.
Private Hajj pilgrims should report any grievances using the inquiry option on the Hajj portal.
