Islamabad: Good news for aspiring pilgrims as the federal government has prepared a policy for Hajj in 2024. The Minister for Religious Affairs, Engr. Inayat Ahmed, announced in a statement that a policy for pilgrims has been formulated and will be presented for approval to the federal cabinet within the next 10 days, addressing the delays and issues faced in the previous year’s policy.
Engr. Inayat Ahmed outlined the key features of the policy, stating that it will include a short-term Hajj, spanning 40 days, in addition to the regular Hajj. Pakistani pilgrims will receive special Hajj outfits consisting of two unique designs, ensuring that Pakistani pilgrims are easily distinguishable.
He explained that the outfit cases will contain QR codes with the details of the pilgrims, including their names, passport numbers, places of residence, and mosque numbers.
The Minister of Religious Affairs further mentioned that pilgrims will now have continuous communication with their families in Pakistan, as they will be provided with a special mobile package for the first time. An agreement has been reached with a Saudi Arabian mobile phone company for this purpose.
Engr. Inayat Ahmed added that pilgrims will be able to make audio and video calls on their mobile phones without incurring additional charges, thanks to a mobile package costing 4,000 rupees. The government had previously announced plans to introduce a short-term Hajj package in 2024, offering a pilgrimage duration of 18 to 20 days.
Engr. Inayat Ahmed had previously stated that the decision regarding the 40-day or shorter Hajj package would be made by the pilgrims themselves, with the committee chairman recommending a 30-day duration for the short-term Hajj.
He emphasized that careful consideration would be given to this recommendation, and efforts would be made to ensure that the expenses for the short-term Hajj align with the general Hajj cost.
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