Interest-free Hajj savings plan approved by PM Shehbaz: save in instalments through National Savings

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved an interest-free Hajj savings scheme that will let Pakistanis put money aside regularly for the pilgrimage, ProPakistani reported on 10 October. The plan is described as Shariah-compliant and was proposed jointly by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, the Ministry of Finance and the Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS).

What is known

• Approval: signed off by the Prime Minister.
• Who runs it: the three bodies above, with National Savings as the savings arm.
• How it works: intending pilgrims deposit money over time towards the cost of Hajj, rather than paying in one or two large instalments in the months before the flight.
• Next step: Religious Affairs Secretary Abrar Ahmed Mirza chaired a meeting on Friday with officials from Finance, CDNS and the ministry's Hajj wing to work out the details.

What is not known yet

An official told ProPakistani that the following will be announced later:

• how to apply and who is eligible;
• how long you must save;
• the minimum or monthly deposit;
• digital services, such as saving through an app.

There is no start date. Until the scheme opens, nobody can take deposits for it, so treat any agent or caller offering a place in it as a fraud.

Why it matters

Government Hajj is paid in large instalments in the months before departure. Saving monthly over several years spreads that cost, and doing it without interest answers the main reason many families avoid ordinary savings accounts for Hajj money. National Savings already runs Shariah-compliant products, and its current profit rates are in our National Savings guide.

If you are going in 2027

Pilgrims on the 2027 government scheme still pay the normal way: the second instalment is due by 20 October through the Pak Hajj app, as we explained in Hajj 2027 second instalment. Planning further ahead? Work out how a monthly deposit grows with our National Savings calculator, and check the riyal rate on the Saudi riyal page.