ISLAMABAD: Minister for Communications Maulana Asad Mahmood said that 31,253 citizens will perform Hajj this year under the government scheme and 1000 people on a special quota.

Addressing a press conference alongside Minister for Housing and Works Maulana Abdul Wasey in Islamabad on Sunday, Maulana Mehmood said that Pakistan was given 81,132 Hajj quotas, including 60 percent government and 40 percent private Hajj quota from Saudi Arabia while a total of 63,604 applications for government Hajj scheme were received through online and selected banks during the stipulated period this year.

The minister said that a large number of people were unable to submit Hajj applications due to compulsory vaccinations, the age limit of 65 years and expensive Hajj expenses.

He said that after the balloting, successful candidates would be informed through SMS.

Speaking to APP on Saturday, Ministry’s spokesperson Muhammad Umar Butt, estimating the Hajj expenses, said this year the total Hajj cost was expected to be Rs 700,000 to Rs 1 million.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has not provided the details of mandatory Hajj expenses yet, he added.

Butt said that the ministry would announce the overall Hajj expenses only after receiving details of mandatory Hajj expenses from the quarters concerned.