Hajj applications are likely to be invited by the end of February, according to the ministry
The Ministry of Religious Affairs revealed on Monday that Saudi Arabia has restored Pakistan’s Hajj quota to pre-pandemic levels and removed the upper age limit as the COVID-19 outbreak eased.
Federal Religious Affairs Minister Mufti Abdul Saqur has received a draft of the annual Haj agreement from Saudi authorities, under which Pakistan’s previous Haj quota of 179,210 pilgrims has been restored and the age limit of 65 has been removed, the ministry said. .
The religious affairs minister is currently in Saudi Arabia to attend the four-day International Hajj Conference. During his visit, the minister interacted with his Saudi counterpart and other officials.
According to the ministry, this year Hajj applications are likely to be invited by the end of February. The minister will announce the Hajj Policy 2023 after the approval of the federal cabinet.
On the other hand, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq al-Rabi’ah, said that delegations from 19 countries, including Pakistan, India and Iran, signed agreements on Hajj.
These agreements detail the number of pilgrims, their arrival and departure and the services offered to them.
Turkey, Sudan, Yemen, Uzbekistan, Malaysia and Bahrain are among the other countries that signed the Hajj Agreement, the Saudi minister said.
In addition, a delegation of ministers from 12 countries met the minister, who then informed the delegations about the new facilities offered to Hajj pilgrims by the Saudi government.