All applicants for Hajj will perform pilgrimage this year

ISLAMABAD: All intending pilgrims who had submitted applications for Hajj this year, will perform the pilgrimage without balloting, the finance ministry has said in a statement on Monday.

A session of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the federal cabinet, chaired by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, today approved 163 million dollars for Hajj arrangements this year.

All 72,869 Hajj applicants will perform Hajj without balloting this year, according to the ministry’s statement.

The federal government had last Thursday decided to accept all applications and send all 72,869 applicants to Hajj without balloting.

The cabinet taken decision on the instruction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and on the recommendation of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the cabinet session announced that the federal government has decided to accept all applications and send all 72,869 applicants on Hajj without balloting.

Ishaq Dar also said that the Religious Ministry will require additional resources including foreign exchange to send more Hajj pilgrims than the fixed quota under the regular scheme.