Saudi crown prince had sancti­oned 16,000 additi­onal Hajj quota for Pakist­an on reques­t of PM ImranMinister for Religious Affairs has announced to hold second Hajj balloting for an additional quota under government scheme in Islamabad on Monday. In an interview with Radio Pakistan, Ministry of Religious Affairs spokesperson Imran Siddiqi said that Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman had announced a gift of 16,000 additional Hajj quota for Pakistan on the request of Prime Minister Imran Khan. According to the spokesperson, 40 per cent of the additional quota will be allocated to private Hajj operators, while rest of the quota will be distributed under government scheme for which balloting will be held tomorrow (Monday). Siddiqi said successful applicants will be informed through SMS and those who have withdrawn their Hajj dues will be given time to redeposit the sum. Saudi Arabia had included Pakistan in its “Road to Makkah” project, which will allow pilgrims to undergo immigration clearance at Pakistani airports before leaving for Hajj.

Source: The Express Tribune June 02, 2019 15:44 UTC