March 12, 2020
KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony on Thursday conducted balloting for the government's Hajj scheme and has uploaded the results on their website.
The balloting, which took place 4pm earlier today, picked almost 100,000 pilgrims who would go to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj later this year under the government's scheme.
If you are one of the almost 150,000 people who applied to be selected as one of the pilgrims under the government's scheme, here's how you can find out your results:
Open your web browser and go to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony's Hajj website — the Ballot Result (Hajj 2020) page — as shown below:
Type your 13-digit computerised national identity card (CNIC) number in the boxes provided on the website (in red):
OR
Type your 8-digit Hajj application number in the boxes provided on the website (in red):
Once you have entered your 13-digit CNIC number OR your 8-digit Hajj application number, click on "Search".
After clicking on "Search", a new page will open and it will tell if you have been selected for the government's Hajj scheme.
Last month, Saudi Arabia introduced one-year, multiple-entry visit visas for Pakistanis and applicants who with valid UK, US or Schengen visa stamped on their passports. It would be valid for a year and visitors would also be allowed to perform Umrah.
Visitors would be able to obtain on-arrival visa at any international airport in Saudi Arabia but they must have a credit card to pay the fees worth SR440 (Rs18,000) as cash is not accepted. They would be allowed to stay for 90 days at a stretch and can enter Saudi Arabia multiple times during the validity period of their visit visa.
Related: Saudi re-opens Mataf in Makka for non-Umrah performers
One of the pre-conditions to obtain an on-arrival visit visa is that visitors would have to travel on one of the Saudi-based airlines — including Saudi Airlines, Flynas or Flydeal. This is mandatory only for first-time visitors only.
Repeat visitors, who already hold Saudi visit visa, can use any other airline.