The Hajj application process is well underway in various nominated banks across Pakistan. The balloting for Hajj applications is set to take place on 5 April, Wednesday.
Under the government Hajj scheme, 14 banks have been designated to receive Hajj applications. They are HBL, UBL, NBP, MCB, Allied Bank, ZTBL, BoP, Meezan Bank, Bank Alfalah, Habib Metro Bank, Soneri Bank, Faysal Bank, Askari Bank, and Bank Al-Habib.
Banks will be open during the holy month of Ramadan from 9 AM to 2 PM daily, with the exception of Fridays when banking hours will be from 8:30 AM to 1 PM.
The deadline for collecting Hajj applications under the government scheme is March 31, Friday. To facilitate the process, the 14 banks will also remain open on 25 March, Saturday, and 26 March, Sunday.
The annual Hajj pilgrimage cost has significantly increased this year with the Religious Affairs Minister announcing a package hike of Rs. 350,000. This has resulted in Pakistan’s official Hajj cost going over Rs. 1.175 million, which is a considerable increase from last year’s expense of Rs. 826,000.
The surge in expenses can be attributed to global inflation, inflated lodging rates, and increased food prices.
Via: Express News
