Haj booking via private operators to start from Friday

Source: The News International

ISLAMABAD: The private Haj organizers will start booking pilgrims for the Haj 2024 from Friday.

It was announced by PM's aide on Religious Affairs, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi on Thursday during a press conference along with the office bearers of Haj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP).

He said the intending pilgrims within the country and abroad could grab the sacred opportunity till February 25.

Ashrafi expressed optimism about the possibility of extending the application submission deadline by a month through private Haj organizers' platform.

Haj quota allocated to the private Haj organizers stands at 89,604 pilgrims, including 50 percent quota of 44,802 pilgrims for Sponsorship Haj Scheme, he said.

Ashrafi urged the government to provide all possible assistance to the intending Pakistani overseas pilgrims for smoothly remitting their funds in the local financial institutions.

He proposed that it would be far better if they could be allowed to send their money into the private Haj organizers' accounts in Saudi Arabia through International Bank Accounts Numbers (IBAN).

Ashrafi informed that the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony had established a dedicated helpline in collaboration with HOAP for further convenience of the pilgrims.

He expressed gratitude to the government of Pakistan and as well as Saudi Arabia for making state-of-the-art arrangements for the intending pilgrims in advance.

Ashrafi said that each Haj organizer would supervise only 500 pilgrims instead of past practice of 2,000 pilgrims.

He said due to this pragmatic approach, no private Haj organizer has been unemployed by the government.

He informed that all private Hajj organizers would proceed pilgrims as per their entitled quota.

He said HOAP had ensured to provide maximum ease and comfort to the pilgrims and furthermore, it had devised a self-accountability mechanism within the private Haj organizers to address pilgrims' grievances immediately and penalize the particular Haj organizers for bad conduct with the affected pilgrims.

Meanwhile, HOAP Chairman Jamal Khan Tarakai announced that a consolidated training programme was being initiated for pilgrims across the country.

He said the programme would help intending pilgrims to perform their religious rites in a more comfortable environment in the Kingdom.