Islamabad: A major announcement has been made for those who missed submitting Hajj applications. Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, has announced the acceptance of new applications under the limited quota of 5,000 for the government Hajj scheme.
This announcement was made during the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Religious Affairs meeting held on Thursday, chaired by Aamir Dogar. The Minister of Religious Affairs stated that since the allocated quota of 5,000 under the government Hajj scheme has not been fulfilled, new applications will soon be accepted, and a schedule will be issued shortly.
Officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs informed the committee during the meeting that efforts are being made to keep Hajj expenses below 1.1 million rupees this year to facilitate the maximum number of pilgrims.
The meeting also discussed the conflict between private Hajj operators and the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Following Saudi Arabia’s directive and the Federal Cabinet’s decision, 163 companies have been merged into 46; however, private Hajj operators refuse to accept this decision.
The committee chairman formed a sub-committee headed by convener Syed Imran Shah to resolve this issue. Speaking to the media, Syed Imran Shah expressed hope that the deadlock would be resolved in the meeting scheduled for next week.
This new phase of Hajj applications is a unique opportunity for those who, for any reason, could not apply earlier. This initiative under the government Hajj scheme aims to provide convenience to the public and improve Hajj arrangements.
