ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will select successful Hajj applicants under the government scheme through a balloting process on Sunday, reported state-owned Radio Pakistan.
Saudi Arabia this year announced the annual Hajj pilgrimage for all Muslims across the globe after a hiatus of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pakistan will be sending 81,132 pilgrims for Hajj this year, with 60 percent of the quota allocated to private Hajj operators.
The maximum age limit for pilgrims this year is 65.
“Balloting of Hajj applications under government scheme is being held today in Islamabad,” Radio Pakistan said, adding: “Over 32,000 successful intending pilgrims will be selected out of the total 63,604 applicants.”
Last month, the Pakistan government announced people willing to perform Hajj this year could submit online applications from May 1 to 13, with token money of Rs50,000 ($270).
The ministry of religious affairs also requested all aspiring pilgrims to ensure their passports were valid till January 5, 2023, adding that people whose passports were going to expire before that should submit new ones by May 18.
Pakistan’s religious affairs minister Mufti Abdul Shakoor said on April 29 the per person cost of this year’s Hajj could range from Rs700,000 ($3,770) to Rs1,000,000 ($5,386), owing to the increase in taxes and cost of other facilities in the kingdom.
Pakistan to select successful Hajj applicants through government balloting scheme today
https://arab.news/j36qd
Pakistan to select successful Hajj applicants through government balloting scheme today
- Radio Pakistan says over 32,000 successful intending pilgrims will be selected from 63,604 applicants
- Saudi Arabia has announced Hajj for Muslims across the world after a two-year gap due to COVID-19
Pakistan’s PIA enters into cargo deal with Air France-KLM to boost exports
- As per agreement, PIA’s freight division will gain access to Air France-KLM’s network of European, American cities
- Exporters will be able to use both PIA, Air France–KLM’s networks under a single air waybill, says Pakistani airline
KARACHI: The recently privatized Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a cargo agreement with global aviation group Air France-KLM to expand its global outreach and push Pakistani exports to more international markets.
The PIA said its agreement with Air France-KLM came into force on Jan. 15. Air France-KLM operates in 320 destinations and is a global aviation player in passenger, cargo and maintenance businesses.
As per the agreement, PIA Cargo, the airline’s freight division, will gain access to Air France–KLM’s global network. Through the deal, PIA Cargo will gain access to Air France–KLM’s global network via Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam.
Air France-KLM’s network includes major European cities such as Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Düsseldorf, and New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles, the PIA said.
“Significant improvement is expected in the exports of Pakistani products and access to global markets,” the PIA said in a statement.
Exporters will be able to use both the PIA’s and Air France–KLM’s networks under a single air waybill, the airline said.
An air waybill is a document used in international air shipping that serves as a legal, non-negotiable contract between the shipper and the airline.
In November 2025, PIA and Biman Bangladesh Airlines signed a Cargo Interline Special Agreement to expand cargo business and augment bilateral trade. The partnership aims to minimize logistical complexities in transporting commodities.
The PIA was Pakistan’s national flag carrier until a Pakistani consortium, led by the Arif Habib Group, secured a 75 percent stake in the airline in December for Rs135 billion ($482 million). Pakistan had previously attempted to reform the debt-ridden airline, which had accumulated more than $2.8 billion in financial losses over the years.
PIA’s new owner Arif Habib announced last week that the airline is in talks with aerospace manufacturers Boeing and Airbus as it plans to revamp service and expand its current fleet.
The PIA has said it plans to increase the airline’s fleet to 64 aircraft from the current figure of 19 over the next eight years.
