Tag: Hajj

  • Hajjis to get mobile sims and free internet

    Hajjis to get mobile sims and free internet

    Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Aneeq Ahmed has said that the government will provide free-of-cost mobile SIMs with roaming internet packages for pilgrims, on Tuesday.

    He further stated that female abayas having a Pakistani flag on the backside and 13 Kg suitcases will also be provided to pilgrims performing hajj this year.

    The minister said that it was a historic step that the caretaker government has declared a significant reduction of one lac in government Hajj expenses, adding that a further Rs50,000 will also be reduced in the coming few days after which Hajjaj will get back their money in their accounts.

    He further revealed that a new mobile application has been designed to assist pilgrims, which will provide navigation support and enable constant communication between pilgrims and relevant officials.

    Initially available in English and Urdu, the application will later incorporate various regional languages, he said, adding that, the app will also provide digital training programs to every pilgrim.

    The minister also disclosed a project that the Ministry of Hajj in collaboration with the Ministry of Education has planned to convert city mosques into schools to enroll out-of-school children where the Imam of mosques will play a leading role.

    Minister said that mosques will play their role as community centers in every city area, adding that imams will resolve community issues as well after offering prayers.

    He said that the Ministry of Hajj is taking all four provinces on board and enhancing the connectivity of mosques.

    While describing another project, minister for religious affairs said that his ministry with the collaboration of health ministry has another project in which medical clinics will also be part of mosques.

    Lady health workers and other essential staff of doctors will also be provided in all masajid where they will facilitate to citizens visiting inside the masque of areas, he added.

  • Council of Islamic Ideology gives ‘conditional permission’ for women to perform Hajj without mehram

    Council of Islamic Ideology gives ‘conditional permission’ for women to perform Hajj without mehram

    In response to a query from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has given conditional permission to women to perform Umrah without mehram, The News has reported.

    The detailed response from the CII states that Jafria, Maliki, and Shafi’i schools of thought allow women to perform Hajj or Umrah without a mehram while Hanbali and Hanafi schools of thought do not consider Hajj and Umrah an obligation for women if their mehram is not available.

    Last year in October, the Saudi government allowed women from across the world to perform Haj and Umrah without a male relative.

    The CII, however, has said the performance of Hajj for a woman without a mehram should be in the company of trustworthy women in a group. It also asserted that the Ministry of Religious Affairs should properly scrutinise a Haj group in which a woman wants to perform Haj without a Mehram.

  • PM Kakar aims to make Hajj more affordable and comfortable for pilgrims

    PM Kakar aims to make Hajj more affordable and comfortable for pilgrims

    On Monday, Caretaker Prime Minister (PM) Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar issued a directive emphasising the provision of high-quality and affordable facilities for pilgrims during the Hajj without compromising the overall arrangements.

    During a meeting focused on the Ministry of Religious Affairs, he stressed the importance of ensuring that all necessary measures are taken to facilitate pilgrims in performing this significant religious ritual, as reported by the state news agency.

    The Prime Minister was briefed on the ministry’s performance, the actions taken for Hajj, and the preparations for the Hajj policy in 2024, according to a press release from the PM Office Media Wing.

    According to ARY News, the meeting was attended by Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs Aneeq Ahmed and other ministry officials.

    In his address to the participants, the Prime Minister emphasised the need for rigorous oversight of private Hajj companies to ensure that pilgrims using private schemes do not encounter any difficulties. 

    He also requested the submission of the Hajj policy for approval by the federal cabinet.

  • Pakistani Hajjis to get special perks to make pilgrimage easier

    The Ministry of Religious Affairs has unveiled its Hajj policy for 2024, designed to bring a revolutionary transformation to the pilgrimage journey for Pakistani pilgrims.

    Caretaker Religious Affairs Minister Aneeq Ahmed announced this game-changing policy, which will be presented to the cabinet for approval within the next 10 days.

    The most striking feature is the introduction of a short Hajj option, where pilgrims have the flexibility to go for Hajj from 18 to 30 days, which empowers pilgrims to customise their journey as per their preference.

    QR codes for suitcases

    The new policy also introduces technological advances in which each Hajj pilgrim will be provided with two specially designed suitcases adorned with QR codes. These QR codes will contain essential information such as the pilgrim’s name, passport number, residence, school number, and other pertinent details. This innovation aims to streamline logistics and enhance security during the pilgrimage.

    Special Mobile Package

    In a significant step towards connectivity, the ministry has secured an agreement with a Saudi Arabian mobile phone company to offer a special mobile package exclusively for Hajj pilgrims. Priced at Rs 4,000, it enables pilgrims to make audio and video calls, ensuring they can stay in touch with their families back in Pakistan throughout their Hajj journey.

    Minister Aneeq Ahmed expressed his optimism about these advancements, stating, “Now Pakistani pilgrims will not be lost in the crowd. These changes are designed to simplify the Hajj experience, enhance communication, and provide pilgrims with peace of mind.”

    Additionally, the Saudi government has offered official residences for Pakistani pilgrims, further easing their accommodations during their sacred journey.

  • Hajj pilgrims will be eligible to receive refund of up to Rs185,000, NA body told

    On Wednesday, the Ministry of Religious Affairs informed the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony that each pilgrim who attended the Hajj under the government programme would receive a reimbursement of up to Rs185,000.

    The committee applauded Hajj preparations at its meeting in Parliament House, presided over by Syed Imran Ahmad Shah.

    The committee was informed that each pilgrim who performed Hajj under the regular scheme paid Rs 1,175,000. However, before their departure for Saudi Arabia, Rs55,000 was returned to each pilgrim.

    The pilgrims who went for Hajj under the hardship quota were asked to pay a deposit of Rs 1,120,000.

    The meeting was attended by MNAs Chaudhry Faqir Ahmed, Shahnaz Saleem Malik, Pir Syed Fazal Ali Shah Jillani, Shagufta Jumani, Muhammad Anwar, and Shahida Akhtar Ali, as well as a special invitee (through a video link), Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani.

    Top officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, including the secretary and joint secretary (Hajj), were also in the meeting.

    The committee shared an optimistic outlook, hoping that good practises and ongoing efforts would keep giving advantages to the pilgrims in the days to come.

  • President, Speaker NA, Chairman Senate decide to perform Hajj together

    President Dr Arif Alvi, Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani have decided to perform Hajj together, Urdu News has reported.

    The absence of the three key officials could create a constitutional crisis in the country.

    According to the constitution, when the president is not present in the country, the chairman of the senate performs the duties of the acting president. The oath of the Senate Chairman also includes the oath of the Acting President.

    If both the President and the Senate Chairman are out of the country, the Speaker of the National Assembly takes over the position of Acting President.

  • Senator Talha Mahmood’s dedication shines through in Hajj 2023 preparations

    Senator Talha Mahmood’s dedication shines through in Hajj 2023 preparations

    Good news for this year’s pilgrims, as Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Senator Mr Muhammad Talha Mahmood has announced that after his tremendous hard work the Arrangement for Hajj 2023 has been successfully completed and pilgrims who participated in the government scheme will not incur additional costs for their sacrifices. Senator faced alot of obstacles to achieve this but with a clear vision and dedication he made it happen. With the constant efforts by the Senator, Pilgrims who had previously paid extra costs under the government scheme have been refunded successfully.

    Mr. Muhammad Talha Mahmood ensured all arrangements and facilities for the pilgrims under his supervision by working day and night. After countless meetings, committee hearings, and several interactions, the Senator made it happen. Furthermore, Hajj assistants will be responsible for offering food, accommodation, transportation and medical facilities to the Pakistani pilgrims. They will depart to Saudia Arabia in different groups along with the pilgrims.If it wasn’t for Mr.

    Muhammad Talha Mahmood, these productive changes in the arrangements of the Hajj wouldn’t be possible.

    The Senator emphasized the crucial role of Hajj assistants, who will accompany pilgrims in different batches to Saudi Arabia. These assistants have been entrusted with the responsibility of providing essential services such as food, accommodation, transportation, and medical facilities to the Pakistani pilgrims. Their presence and expertise will help alleviate any concerns pilgrims may have, allowing them to focus solely on their spiritual journey.

    Pakistan has been granted a quota of 179,000 pilgrims for this year’s Hajj. Among them, 85,000 pilgrims will perform Hajj in the public sector, while 89,000 will do so in the private sector. This allocation signifies the significance Pakistan holds in the global Muslim community, as well as the Senator’s commitment to ensuring that a broad spectrum of pilgrims can benefit from the government’s initiatives.

    Another initiative was taken by the Senator for the convenience of the Hajj pilgrims. Pilgrims leaving from Pakistan will be able to do the immigration at their respective airports. This will allow the official Hajj pilgrims to save time after arriving in the kingdom as they would be fulfilling all the immigration requirements at the airport of origin.

    Furthermore, the Senator has launched a complaint portal for all the participants where they can easily file complaints or make any suggestions. This new initiative was funded by the Senator personally, to efficiently solve, manage and receive the complaints. More than 10,000 complaints by Pilgrims were registered on the portal already and they were solved efficiently by

    the Senator. The senator emphasized that any negligence done by the pilgrim’s assistants would not be tolerated.

  • CII grants conditional permission to women performing Hajj without a mehram

    CII grants conditional permission to women performing Hajj without a mehram

    The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Wednesday gave conditional permission to women to perform Hajj without a mehram under certain conditions, a spokesperson for the body confirmed.

    Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs had sought the views of CII to determine whether or not women would be allowed to perform Hajj without a mehram (close-male relative) or male guardian.  

    In October 2022, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, announced that women all over the world would be able to perform Hajj and Umrah without a mehram or male guardian. The Ministry of Religious Affairs sought clarity on the matter from the CII.

    A CII spokesperson stated it is acceptable, citing the Islamic Jafri, Maliki and Shafi’i schools of thought, which state that women are permitted to perform Hajj without a mehram under Sharia law.

    The Council clarified that according to Hanafi and Hanbali fiqh, a woman is not obligated to perform Hajj if she does not have a mehram.

    However, the CII stressed the permission is dependent on certain conditions.

    What are the conditions?

    Firstly, a woman can only travel sans mehram if granted explicit permission by either her parents or husband. Secondly, if a group of women are to travel for Hajj together, the religious ministry is entitled to a thorough investigation to ensure the group is fit to embark on the pilgrimage.

    The CII spokesperson did note that if a woman wanted to solo travel for Hajj and Umrah, and she did not feel insecure while traveling, she had the right to go (of course dependent on her parents’/husband’s permission).

    Writer and former advisor to the Minister of Hajj, Faten Ibrahim Hussein, praised the new ruling. According to him, allowing women to perform Umrah without a mehram makes the pilgrimage more attainable, as many come from difficult social situations and may not find a mehram.

  • Pakistan fails to meet Hajj quota due to rising inflation and dollar shortage

    Pakistan fails to meet Hajj quota due to rising inflation and dollar shortage

    On Wednesday, sources within the Ministry of Religious Affairs reported that the government has decided to return Pakistan’s quota of Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia due to a shortfall of applications caused by rising inflation.

    This year marked the first time a quota for Hajj pilgrimage was available in the country, but the shortage of dollars and rising inflation prevented Pakistanis from applying for Hajj.

    The final decision to return the Hajj quota will be made by the federal cabinet. The authorities considered giving the official Hajj quota to private operators after a few applications turned out for the government scheme. However, this option would lead to private operators collecting dollars from the open market, causing unnecessary demand for foreign currency.

    Pakistan had been demanding an increase in the Hajj quota, allowing 179,210 pilgrims to 202,000 or 201,000 pilgrims. This year, the country received its complete quota of 179,000 pilgrims after many years but couldn’t utilize it entirely. It’s worth noting that the cost of government-sponsored Hajj is around Rs1.2 million.

    Due to an acute shortage of the greenback amid the collapsing economy, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony decided to allocate a 50% special quota in the Government Hajj Scheme-2023 for pilgrims who will pay in US dollars. However, a quota of 89,605 Hajj pilgrims was set under the government scheme, falling short of 9,000 applicants.

    The government received 72,869 applicants under the regular scheme and only 8,000 under the sponsorship scheme. Moreover, 28,679 additional applications were received under the official regular scheme against the quota of 44,190. Additional applicants are being sent for Hajj pilgrimage without a lucky draw.

    The sources indicated that a total of $235 million is required for the government scheme, some of which will be provided by the sponsorship scheme and the rest by the government.

  • Saudi Arabia will host pre-pandemic numbers of Hajj pilgrims in 2023

    The number of people participating in this year’s Hajj will return to pre-pandemic levels, Saudi Arabia’s ministry of Hajj has announced in a tweet

    About 2.5 million pilgrims participated in the religious journey in 2019. To stop the spread of COVID-19 , numbers were significantly reduced for the following two years.

    Prior to reopening its doors to one million international pilgrims in 2022, the kingdom only permitted small numbers of its citizens to perform Hajj in 2020 and 2021.

    In 2022, nearly 900,000 pilgrims, including some 780,000 from abroad, were welcomed in the Kingdom.