The Ministry of Religious Affairs has asked all intending pilgrims enrolled under the government’s Hajj Scheme 2027 to deposit their second instalment by October 20, the last date for depositing the dues.

“Pilgrims must pay by the deadline to avoid cancellation of their Hajj applications,” the ministry added.

The ministry’s spokesperson said that so far over 97,000 pilgrims have deposited the second instalment and total revenues through the National Information Technology Board’s (NITB) digital Hajj portal have reached Rs61 billion.

Of these pilgrims, 45,245 paid using One Link and 3,685 paid with debit or credit cards. Another 47,563 cleared their dues via bank challans.

Those pilgrims who have not yet paid have been asked to complete the process through NITB’s Hajj online or Pak Hajj mobile application.

The government has also made it necessary for all prospective pilgrims to undergo medical checkup. They have to download the medical fitness certificate from Hajj portal, get it validated by a registered doctor and upload it on the portal.

Pilgrims have been encouraged to keep checking Pak Hajj app for latest information and official instructions about Hajj 2027.

— The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) kicked off on a bullish note on Tuesday with the benchmark KSE-100 Index rising more than 400 points in early trade.

The index rose to 166,425 points at the start of the second trading session of the business week, indicating better market performance.

The KSE-100 Index closed down 453 points at 165,966 points in the last trading session.

The benchmark index turned positive during early trading after falling in the previous session. The latest gains were made as the benchmark index went into positive territory during early trading.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has issued notices under Section 19 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, in connection with the ongoing inquiry regarding Dr Amjad Ali, MPA and Special Assistant to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa dysfunctional Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Housing.

The inquiry is into claims of acquisition of assets beyond known sources of income, corruption and unscrupulous behaviour.

NAB has called four witnesses, Bacha Syed, Muhammad Arif Shah, Siraj Ahmed and Naveed Ahmed, to record their statements and furnish relevant documents between October 20 and 22.

The agency also asked for data relating to allotment, ownership and payment of plots in connection with Islamabad’s Eighteen Housing Society and Jalozai Housing Scheme.

Read More: Rs920m scam uncovered in KP education department

Besides, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Accounts Department has been instructed to provide record of salary, allowances, incentives and travel expenditures of Dr Amjad Ali.

NAB has cautioned that non-availability of sought records may invite initiation of legal action including prosecution against the concerned persons.

The probe remains focused on the charges under investigation, and the issue of summons notifications does not, by itself, demonstrate misconduct.