ISLAMABAD: Nearly 97,000 Pakistani pilgrims have paid the second installment of their Hajj dues under the government’s scheme, the religious affairs ministry said on Tuesday, urging those yet to pay to meet the deadline today or risk having their applications canceled.

Pakistan is preparing for the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, with intending pilgrims enrolled in the government scheme required to pay their dues in installments and complete medical documentation. The ministry said Rs61 billion ($216 million) had been received through the digital Hajj portal in second-installment payments.

“Pilgrims who have yet to pay must complete the payment of their dues by October 20,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Pay your Hajj dues on time to avoid cancelation of your application,” it added.

According to the statement, 45,245 pilgrims made payments through the 1LINK banking network, 3,685 used payment cards and 47,563 deposited their dues through manual bank challans.

The ministry advised pilgrims to use the National Information Technology Board’s Hajj portal or the Pak Hajj mobile application to complete their payments.

It also reminded applicants that they must download the medical fitness certificate available on the Hajj portal, have it verified by a doctor and upload the authenticated document to the same platform.

The statement urged intending pilgrims to regularly check the Pak Hajj application for updated information and instructions regarding their pilgrimage.

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is obligatory once in a lifetime for Muslims who are physically and financially able to undertake the journey.