Islamabad: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Senator Talha Mahmood, said, “the dictum ‘First come, first served’ will be followed. We need to complete preparations for sending pilgrims starting January 2024. Visa processing should be completed by the end of April. Now, instead of using Rupees, we will collect Hajj payments in Dollars. People say Hajj becomes expensive when paid in Rupees.”
The Federal Minister for Religious Affairs added, “I have set a record of protest in front of the Saudi Minister for Religious Affairs. I made him aware of all the issues.”
He stated that the Saudi Minister for Religious Affairs has assured to resolve the issues, and soon the training program for the pilgrims would begin.
He added, “I was offered a Royal Hajj, but I fulfilled the obligation of Hajj like an ordinary pilgrim. I performed Hajj at my own expense, and I am also prepared for accountability. I did not allow anyone to perform Hajj for free, and I will not allow anyone to steal the pilgrims’ money.”
Senator Talha Mahmood said that 160,000 people fulfilled the obligation of Hajj, and 30 lakh (3 million) pilgrims came to Saudi Arabia. It was the largest Hajj in history, while the previous year had a smaller Hajj. He also visited various places and met thousands of pilgrims. He said our Hajj mission also provided extensive assistance to Pakistanis.
