Hajj applications: Religious affairs ministry extends deadline till July 20

Ministry still has space to accommodate pilgrims despite the 20 per cent cut in the quota for the country

KARACHI:

The religious affairs ministry has extended the deadline for the submission of Hajj applications till July 20.

Every intending pilgrim, who had applied earlier, would be allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, a federal government’s law officer assured the Sindh High Court.

As many as 52 private Hajj tour operators had moved the court against likely cuts in their quota allocated for pilgrims by the religious affairs ministry. They had apprehended that the ministry might cut their quota to facilitate other firms.

The religious affairs ministry informed the court that the deadline for submission of Hajj applications had been extended till July 20 as the ministry still had the space to accommodate pilgrims despite the 20 per cent cut in the quota for the country by the Saudi government. Justice Munib Akhtar took the ministry’s comments on record and adjourned the hearing till July 23.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2013.