ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and National Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf on Friday announced Haj Policy 2015 under which 143,368 pilgrims will perform the pilgrimage this year.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the minister said the applicants may submit their Haj applications from April 27 to May 8 in 10 designated banks, while the balloting of the applications would be held on May 14.

Yousaf added that 50 per cent of the Hujjaj will perform Haj under the government scheme, while the remaining 50 per cent will perform Haj under the private scheme.

He also said that the residents of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would pay Rs264,971 to perform Haj, whereas the residents of Sindh and Balochistan would pay Rs255,971.

“The pilgrims will submit Rs14,210 for sacrifice separately,” the minister said. “Anyone who performed Haj during the last five years will not be considered for 2015,” Yousaf added.

He also said that the pilgrims are required to carry machine readable passports, computerised national identity cards and a medical certificate during their visit of Saudi Arabia.

Yousaf also said that the government would provide food to the Hujjaj while a medical staff of 450 people would be sent to Saudi Arabia to provide medical treatment to any of the pilgrims needing looking after.