Pakistani Govt to Refund Hajj Dues to All Applicants
According the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the decision has been taken in light of the announcement by Saudi Arabia about Hajj this year.
He said the amount will be refunded through scheduled banks across the country and all applicants are being informed via SMS.
The Spokesperson said that applicants should come in person to receive the amount in cash while the group leaders should come to the bank with all original documents of group members in case of receiving through cheque, radio.gov.pk website reported.
Saudi Arabia on Monday announced it will hold a “very limited” Hajj this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, with people already living in the kingdom allowed to take part in the pilgrimage that begins in late July.
“It was decided to hold the pilgrimage this year with very limited numbers ... with different nationalities in the kingdom,” the official Saudi Press Agency said, citing the Hajj ministry.
The decision comes in light of the increase in COVID-19 cases around the world, the lack of a vaccine and difficulty maintaining a safe physical distance among large numbers of pilgrims coming from overseas, the statement said.
More than two million people perform the pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca every year, including many travelling from abroad.
