Pakistan uses ringtones, TV ads for hajj registration campaigns

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Ministry of Religious Affairs promotes official Hajj scheme through ringtones and TV ads

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has launched a novel campaign to attract more applicants for the official Hajj scheme this year, reported 24NewsHD TV channel Thursday.

The ministry has hired private cellular companies to inform mobile phone users about the details of the Hajj scheme through ringtones. This is the first time that ringtones are being used for this purpose, according to sources.

The ministry has also started advertising the Hajj scheme on television for the first time, sources said.

The advertisements highlight the features and benefits of the government’s regular and sponsorship schemes, which are aimed at facilitating low-income and overseas Pakistanis to perform Hajj.

The campaign has shown positive results, as 53,000 applications have been received under the regular scheme and 2,500 applications under the sponsorship scheme so far, sources said.

The ministry is expecting to receive 22,500 more applications for the sponsorship scheme, which allows applicants to submit their payments in dollars from abroad.

The ministry is also working to remove any barriers for overseas Pakistanis who wish to apply for the Hajj scheme, sources added.