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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government has started the second phase of receiving applications for Hajj 2026, the spokesperson of the religious affairs ministry said on Monday, as Islamabad undertakes preparations for next year’s annual Islamic pilgrimage. 

Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs received more than 71,000 applications in the first phase of Hajj form submissions, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Saturday.

Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims for 2026, with 129,210 seats allocated for the government scheme and the rest for private tour operators.

“The second phase of receiving Hajj applications has begun,” the religious affairs ministry spokesperson said. “Hajj applications are being accepted through the ministry’s online portal and designated banks.”

The spokesperson said applications containing the first installment of Hajj expenses will be accepted until August 16. He said unregistered Hajj pilgrims will also be allowed to submit their applications during the second round of submissions. 

“Overseas Pakistanis can also apply for Hajj through a close relative via designated banks,” the spokesperson said. “Medical fitness certificates for overseas applicants must be submitted upon arrival in Pakistan.”

The ministry said the government will stop accepting Hajj applications as soon as the quota for intending pilgrims is filled. 

Under the government scheme, Pakistani pilgrims can choose between a long Hajj package of 38 to 42 days or a short package of 20 to 25 days, with costs estimated between Rs1.15 million and Rs1.25 million ($4,050-$4,236).

������Ƶ approved the same overall quota for Pakistan in 2025, but a significant portion of the private allocation went unused due to delays by tour operators in meeting payment and registration deadlines, while the government fulfilled its share of over 88,000 pilgrims.

Private operators blamed the shortfall on technical issues, including payment processing and communication problems.
 

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has said memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed with ������Ƶ, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and China were being implemented to promote economic cooperation and attract investment, state-run media reported on Sunday.

Pakistan has recently inked a series of agreements aimed at boosting trade, economic cooperation and bilateral investment with China, the US, ������Ƶ, the UAE and the Central Asian republics as the country seeks to stabilize an economy weakened by a prolonged balance of payments crisis.

Pakistan and ������Ƶ last year signed 34 MoUs worth $2.8 billion, seven of which have since been converted into agreements valued at $560 million. The UAE, Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the US, has also pledged $10 billion in future investments in priority sectors. Islamabad and Washington also recently finalized a trade agreement under which a 19 percent tariff was imposed on a wide range of Pakistani goods, the lowest rate in the South Asian region. 

“Various Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) are being implemented with the US, ������Ƶ, the UAE and China, which will promote economic cooperation and investment,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported, quoting Munir as saying while speaking to members of the Pakistani community in the United States during an official visit.

Munir arrived in the US last week to attend the retirement ceremony of the outgoing US Central Command chief and meet senior American political and military leaders.

This is the army chief’s second visit to the US in two months. During his last visit in June, he had an unprecedented lunch meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House.

Munir described his latest trip as marking “a new dimension” in US ties. “He said the aim of these visits is to take the relations on a constructive, sustainable and positive trajectory,” Radio Pakistan said.

Pakistan was “extremely grateful” to Trump, whose “strategic leadership not only stopped the India-Pakistan war but also prevented many wars in the world,” Munir added, referring to its latest conflict with New Delhi in May. 

The army chief also commented on the conflict in the Middle East, calling the situation in Gaza “a worst human tragedy that has serious implications at both the global and regional levels,” according to the state broadcaster.