According to a Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs, meeting presided over by JUIF leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Hyderi, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has implemented a short Hajj for Pakistani pilgrims.
Aneeq Ahmed, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, stated that the abbreviated Hajj will last 18 to 20 days and that pilgrims will decide whether or not to participate.
“The duration of short Hajj should be between 18 and 30 days,” the chairman committee instructed.
The caretaker minister stated that the suggestion would be thoroughly studied.
Saudi Arabian authorities have also requested that the number of Hajj firms be reduced from 905 to 46.
During his recent visit to the kingdom, Aneeq Ahmed spoke with the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, about pilgrimage arrangements for the following year.
Ahmed was in Saudi Arabia for a week, meeting with senior officials to discuss the extension of the Makkah Route Initiative, which would expand its convenience to Pakistani pilgrims beyond Islamabad.
Following his meeting with the Saudi minister, Ahmed declared that Saudi Arabia had agreed to improve facilities for Pakistani pilgrims preparing for Hajj in the future year.
He emphasised the need to complete the pilgrims’ food, accommodation, and travel arrangements as soon as possible.
In a statement issued by his ministry, Ahmed also requested that the flight schedule for Pakistani pilgrims be finalized as soon as possible and that they be lodged near religious locations.
He advocated for the Makkah Route project to be expanded to include places other than Islamabad, making the pilgrimage journey more accessible and comfortable for all Pakistani pilgrims.
