ISLAMABAD- Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and National Harmony today announced Haj Policy 2015. 143,368 pilgrims will perform the pilgrimage this year, according to Sardar Muhammad Yousaf. Addressing a press conference, the minister said the applicants may submit their Haj applications from April 27 in ten designated banks.

Yousaf said 50 percent 'selected' will perform Haj under the government scheme, while the remaining 50 percent will perform the religious obligation under the private scheme.

According to our sources, the charges for residents of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are Rs264,971 and Rs255,971 for Sindh and Balochistan. “Anyone who performed Haj during the last five years will not be considered for 2015,” Yousaf clarified.

The pilgrims are also required to carry machine readable passports, computerized national identity cards and a medical certificate during their stay.