Pakistan Sets Oct. 20 Deadline for Second Hajj Installment Under State Scheme

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs announced late Friday that pilgrims selected under the state‑run Hajj scheme must deposit their second installment of pilgrimage fees by Oct. 20.

The government has allocated a total of 107,526 slots for the official Hajj scheme, comprising 30,000 places in the shorter package, while an additional 71,696 slots have been set aside for the private Hajj scheme for the upcoming year.

All seats under the government Hajj scheme were fully booked online on Aug. 25, marking the first time the entire quota was filled via a digital reservation system.

In a Friday statement, the Ministry of Religious Affairs warned that any pilgrim’s application for next year’s Hajj would be cancelled if payments are not completed by the deadline.

“The ministry said the second installment for Hajj pilgrims under the government scheme must be deposited between Oct. 5 and Oct. 20, 2026.”

The ministry added that missing the second installment deadline will lead to cancellation of the pilgrim’s application, with the initial payment being refunded to the applicant’s account.

Pilgrims enrolled in the government scheme may pay the second installment through the Pak Hajj App or the online Hajj portal during the stipulated period.

The ministry emphasized that a medical fitness certificate must be uploaded to the Pak Hajj platform or the digital portal before the second installment can be submitted.

This year’s fees under the state scheme are Rs1.2 million (≈ $4,334) for a 40‑day Hajj package and Rs1.3 million (≈ $4,695) for a shortened 20‑to‑25‑day package.

The first installment for the shorter government package was cleared within 24 hours of the Aug. 18 launch, and all remaining scheme slots were secured by Aug. 25.

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