Flood-affected intending Hajis can withdraw

Under the quota provided by the Saudi government, 80,000 Pakistanis will perform Hajj in the government scheme.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has announced that flood affected people who want to cancel their plans for Hajj should immediately inform the ministry so that their paid amount is reimbursed and others accommodated in their place.

The ministry made this announcement after Hajj balloting under the government scheme. Under the quota provided by the Saudi government, 80,000 Pakistanis will perform Hajj in the category of the government scheme and 79,647 through private schemes.

The minister for religious affairs said that a vast area of the country has been affected by the floods and it is understandable that people from those areas may like to postpone their pilgrimage as they have lost everything to the raging floods. He said that the ministry has decided that such persons shall be reimbursed the paid amount if they don’t want to perform Hajj this year.

The first Hajj flight will leave for Jeddah on October 10 and the last one will leave a month later on November 10. Both PIA and Saudi Airlines will take part in the Hajj operation. About 28,000 pilgrims will be able to avail direct flights to Madinah.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2010.