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| 24 December 2004 | Friday | 11 Ziqa'ad 1425 |
Riyadh to grant 4,000 more Haj visas
ISLAMABAD, Dec 23: An additional quota of 4,000 Haj visas requested by Pakistan has been approved by the Saudi government and the ministry of religious affairs is likely to receive a confirmation by Monday or Tuesday, according to official sources.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, the sources told Dawn, had made a request to Saudi Arabia for the additional quota to accommodate some deserving cases. Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Ijazul Haq had visited Saudi Arabia recently to make a formal request to the Saudi government and had reported getting a positive response.
It is, however, believed that a major chunk of the quota will be going to people recommended by the political allies of the PML-led coalition government. The Haj ministry of Saudi Arabia had asked Pakistan's Haj authorities to give them an assurance about arranging accommodation for the additional pilgrims, a prerequisite for the Saudi Arabia permission. The formality has been fulfilled by the ministry of Haj.
The additional quota, which will increase the number of total Pakistanis going for Haj to 154,000, will be allotted by the prime minister's office. Some deserving cases where one or more members of a family had been dropped in computer balloting will be accommodated.
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