Less pilgrims to perform Hajj until vaccine availability: Qadri

ISLAMABAD : Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri on Tuesday said that the Hajj will be performed in a similar way, with the number of pilgrims significantly reduced, unless a coronavirus vaccine is available. The minister said that Saudi Arabia has made it clear that it will not allow a large number of Muslims to participate in Hajj in line with its Covid-19 safety protocols. He added that the government of Pakistan is yet to announce a subsidy for the Hajj pilgrims. This year, the kingdom only allowed 10,000 to perform the Hajj in a bid to contain the spread of Covid-19. As against that, the country invited 2.5 million Muslims to participate in Hajj. About 70% of the pilgrims were foreigners residing in the kingdom while the rest were Saudi citizens.