THE balloting to pick 107,526 intending pilgrims out of a
total of 149,330 applicants for Hajj 2020 under the government scheme was held in Islamabad on Thursday. According to the Hajj Policy 2020, initially 179,210 Pakistanis were to perform the Hajj including 107,526 under the Government Hajj Scheme and 71,684 through Hajj Group Organizers. Some 10,000 seats under the government scheme have been reserved for senior citizens.
So far the Hajj process is smoothly proceeding and the Ministry of Religious Affairs is taking measures to the satisfaction of the applicants. However, no one knows for sure what would ultimately happen as the Saudi Government has yet to take a final decision about this largest gathering on the planet in view of growing threat of Coronavirus. The Kingdom has already taken a number of measures to protect its own citizens and others from the disease including travel restrictions to and from nine countries and a temporary ban on Umrah visas. According to the Religious Affairs Minister Pir Noorul Haq Qadri, the Saudi Government would take a decision about Hajj by taking those countries into confidence which send more than one hundred thousand pilgrims to the holy land for the purpose. Already, the Ministry of Religious Affairs received fewer applications this year due to uncertainty created by Coronavirus but hopefully the coordinated action by all countries would help check the virus by the time of Hajj this year. We also expect the Government to talk to airlines and reduce the airfare in proportion to the historic reduction in oil prices.
