LAHORE: Application forms for Haj under the government scheme will be available free of charge at the designated branches of authorised banks all over the country from Monday (today).

Of the 179,210 Pakistanis who would perform Haj this year, half of them would proceed to pilgrimage under government scheme while the rest through private groups, said a Ministry of Religious Affairs spokesman on Sunday.

Having security features, the forms under government scheme will be entertained on the first-come, first-served basis by designated branches of National Bank, United Bank, MCB, Habib Bank, Allied Bank and Zarai Taraqiyati Bank.

Pilgrims belonging to south region -- Karachi, Sukkur and Quetta -- will pay Rs262,231 and those from north regions -- Lahore, Multan, Islamabad, Peshawar -- will pay Rs272,231.

Besides dues, applicants are to present with form their computerised CNIC in original, machine readable international passport which should be valid up to March 31, 2015, or receipt of passport application issued by the immigration and passport office and 12 photographs of 4x3 cm size in light blue background.

Women applicants under 45 years of age will have to mention their Mahram’s name and their relation with him in the application form, says the spokesman.

Attestation by a private medical practitioner on a health certificate attached with Haj applications would not be entertained.

Only doctors serving in medical institutions of government, semi-government, armed forces, autonomous bodies and corporations will be authorised to fill up and attest the health certificate of the applicant.

The health certificate would have age, blood group of the applicant, medicines that do not suit him or her and the chronic ailments along with names of the medicines prescribed. The doctor will also examine whether or not an applicant would require a wheelchair to perform pilgrimage.

Pregnant women and people suffering from any contagious or communicable disease will not be allowed to go on Haj. A thorough medical check-up of all applicants would be conducted at the Haji camps, says the spokesman.

All pilgrims under government scheme would use train for performing five-day Haj rituals at Mina, Arafat and Muzdalfa. A sum of Riyals250 has been included in the dues being charged from the pilgrims. A pilgrim will have to arrange at least Riyals2,000 for meeting day-to-day expenses and the amount has not been included in the package being offered under government scheme.