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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has received more than 71,000 applications in the first phase of Hajj form submissions, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Saturday, citing a senior official.

Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims for 2026, with 129,210 seats allocated for the government scheme and the rest for private tour operators.

Under the government scheme, pilgrims can choose between a long package of 38 to 42 days or a short package of 20 to 25 days, with costs estimated between Rs1.15 million and Rs1.25 million ($4,050-$4,236).

“The next phase will run from August 11 to 16, during which applications will be accepted along with the first installment of expenses,” the ministry’s spokesperson, Muhammad Umar Butt, said, according to APP. “In this stage, unregistered intending pilgrims will also be eligible to apply.”

The report said overseas Pakistanis can also apply through a close relative at any designated bank branch and will be required to provide medical fitness certificates upon arrival in Pakistan.

The official also said the ministry would stop accepting applications immediately once the allocated quota is filled.

�������� approved the same overall quota for Pakistan in 2025, but a significant portion of the private allocation went unused due to delays by tour operators in meeting payment and registration deadlines, while the government fulfilled its share of over 88,000 pilgrims.

Private operators blamed the shortfall on technical issues, including payment processing and communication problems.

KARACHI: Nearly half of Pakistan’s heart attack patients are under the age of 49, with up to 15% younger than 40, cardiologists at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) said on Saturday, warning of a sharp rise in early-age cases linked to diabetes, hypertension, obesity, smoking and unhealthy lifestyles.

NICVD’s Director of Cath Lab, Dr Abdul Hakeem, said Pakistan had “the highest rate of young heart attack patients globally.”

“Every third adult has diabetes, 40% have high blood pressure, obesity is common, and smoking rates remain high,” he said. “Many people don’t know they’re at risk because, in our culture, loose clothing hides weight gain. After the age of 30, everyone should get a cardiac check-up.”

Hakeem said nine in ten patients in NICVD’s data reported no severe chest pain, only heaviness or acidity-like discomfort, symptoms that can delay treatment.

“If you feel chest heaviness while walking or climbing stairs, get an ECG immediately,” he said. “The most dangerous anterior heart attack can damage up to 60% of the heart muscle and often causes a clot within four to eight weeks, increasing the risk of stroke.”

NICVD Executive Director Dr Tahir Saghir said the institute was moving into advanced research, including trials on drug-coated balloons that could reduce future artery blockages without stents, backed by international funding.

Senior cardiologist Dr Nadeem Rizvi stressed the value of locally conducted research tailored to Pakistan’s healthcare environment, while Dow Institute of Cardiology Director Dr Tariq Furman said genetic, socioeconomic and physical differences meant Western treatment guidelines often needed adjustment for local patients.

The findings were released alongside results from the country's largest clinical trial on acute left ventricular thrombus (LVT), a dangerous blood clot that can form after a severe heart attack and cause stroke.

Conducted by NICVD in collaboration with local pharmaceutical firm Pharmevo, the study compared rivaroxaban, a newer blood thinner, with the decades-old standard drug warfarin.

The trial, named RIVAWAR, ran from June 2021 to December 2023, enrolling 261 patients within seven days of a heart attack, most of whom had a severe form that also reduced heart function.

The study found rivaroxaban to be a safe, effective alternative to warfarin, with faster early clot resolution and similar success rates over 12 weeks.

Researchers said early diagnosis and treatment of LVT could prevent thousands of strokes in Pakistan each year.