ISLAMABAD – In a major relief to the intending pilgrims, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has reversed its ban on some of the Hujjaj.
The ministry while announcing its Hajj policy had declared that those who had performed Hajj in 2017 or onwards were not eligible for applying for Hajj for 2024.
However, the ministry’s spokesperson has now clarified that such a ban on Hujjaj (Hajj performers) has been lifted.
The decision implies that even those who have performed Hajj in 2017 or subsequent years can now apply for upcoming Hajj through the designated banks of the country.
In another decision, the government has also extended the deadline for the submission of applications till December 22. A few days earlier, the ministry’s spokesperson had confirmed that the number of applications was less than the expectations, citing the economic conditions of the citizens as a reason for such a response.
This is the first time that the government has also introduced a Short Hajj package spanning over 25 days to facilitate those who can not go to the Long Hajj; the cost of the Short Hajj package is more than the regular Long Hajj.
Meanwhile, the government of Saudi Arabia has allocated around 180,000 seats for Pakistan this year and half of those would be filled by the private hajj operators across the country.
The caretaker minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Aneeq Ahmed had recently announced that the cost of Hajj for 2024 would be reduced by another Rs 50,000 and the amount would be sent back to the bank accounts of the applicants.
