Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and one of the biggest dreams of a Muslim. Regardless of location, status, or cast, Muslims around the world wait for years to perform the duty.
The covid-19 halted the holy pilgrimage for 2 years and during that time only locals could perform the practice but now, a million Muslims from around the world will finally get to perform the long-awaited practice.
Citizens of Pakistan can now apply for Hajj as the government has opened the application process. The deadline, eligibility, selection procedure, and medical requirements are listed below:
Application Deadline
The deadline to apply for Hajj in Pakistan is from May 9 to 13, 2022. Applicants are requested to follow the procedure down below to avoid any mistakes.
Eligibility Criteria
The following criteria should be considered carefully before proceeding with the Hajj application:
- Age limit of 65 years (born after 15 August 1957)
- CNIC (registered with NADRA)
- International Passport (machine-readable)
- The applicant has not performed hajj in the last 5 years (2015-2019)
- Females would need to be accompanied by a “Mehram” (a relative considered Mehram in Islam includes a brother, father, husband, father in law, grandfather, etc.)
- The individual must be healthy and vaccinated against covid (medical certificate details are mentioned at the end.
Check the detailed eligibility criteria for more information.
Hajj 2022 Application Procedure and Package
Hajj applicants should follow the steps mentioned below:
Applicants need to register online to start the Hajj application process. You will need to make an account, add your CNIC, and then fill out a form.
Note: Make sure to read the eligibility criteria so that you can avoid making any mistakes otherwise your application can get rejected.
In case of any queries contact on the WhatsApp number: +92-306-3332555 (Ministry of Religious Affairs).
If you are unable to register online, you can register from a scheduled bank from 9 May onwards.
- Deposit Token Money
After you have registered online, you need to deposit a token amount of PKR 50,000 along with the application to scheduled banks like MCB, NBP, HBL, etc. The total Hajj amount can vary from PKR 0.7 million to 1 million.
If the complete amount for Hajj is declared by the time you are submitting your application, you will need to submit that amount. Don’t forget to take a receipt from the bank when you deposit the amount.
Selection Procedure
The applicants will be selected based on balloting results. Unbiased balloting will take place in which applicants will be selected in groups. The group that wins the ballot will perform Hajj with all the members included in the group.
Hajj Groups
As mentioned above, the selection procedure for Hajj occurs based on balloting. The individuals are added to various groups and when a group is selected, all the members of the group get to perform Hajj.
These groups are later trained together, they arrive at the Haji Camp together and their arrival and departure dates are also kept the same. Hajj groups also stay at the same venue in Makkah and Madinah.
A group can have a maximum of 14 members and families can opt to be in the same group by nominating a leader and submitting an application.
Medical Certificate
To make sure that every pilgrim is healthy and eligible for Hajj, the government prohibits applicants with the following conditions:
- Uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes
- Heart disease
- Ischemia
- A disability that requires a helper
- Females who are 6 months pregnant at the time of departure
For every applicant, applying for Hajj in 2022, a medical certificate attested by a doctor is compulsory.
The doctor can belong to a provincial, federal, semi-government hospital, armed forces or autonomous institute, or a corporate hospital.
Final Words
Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime practice that Muslims hold very dear to their hearts. Many save for the pilgrimage their entire lives and so the process must be followed very carefully to avoid any mistakes and inconvenience.
The application process, training, and documentation are quite hectic and time-consuming therefore preparing well in advance and keeping all the eligibility requirements in mind are advised.
