Second Hajj balloting to be conducted today

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs has announced to conduct second Hajj balloting for the remaining 10% pilgrims today (Friday) in Islamabad.

Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf will conduct the balloting for the remaining 10% intending pilgrims to select 375 intending pilgrims in the general category.

“The federal government has exempted all 12,623 applicants who had been applying for the past three years consecutively, and other 7400 intending pilgrims aged 80 and above, from the balloting process”.

The official statement also stated that now the applicants who got an exemption from the balloting process will perform Hajj without going through any selection process.

“We selected 87,813 intending pilgrims in the first balloting on March 1. Any information regarding today’s balloting will be messaged through mobile phone message,” said Sardar Yousaf while addressing a press conference today.

“According the judicial verdict, 60% is the government quota and remaining 40% is private Hajj scheme quota.”

On March 1 the ministry carried out Hajj balloting in which the names of 87,813 people were announced.

Earlier 67 percent quota was approved for the federal cabinet under the government scheme and 33 percent for private tour operators.

Later this was revised and 60 percent quota was ordered to keep for the government scheme and 40 percent for tour operators by the Islamabad High Court.

The ministry has also filed a review petition in the apex court, requesting an increase in the Hajj quota from 60 percent to 67 percent.