The Special Representative to the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony Maulana Tahir Ashrafi has been proven to be wrong about his recent announcement regarding the Hajj pilgrims allowance this year.
On 22nd May 2021, Maulana Ashrafi announced on a TV interview that Saudia Arabia has allowed 60,000 people from across the world, including Pakistan to perform the Hajj this year.
However, GVS sources in the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirm that he is wrong, and no decision has yet been made on the topic.
A spokesman for the Saudi embassy in Pakistan said on Sunday, “no decision has been taken yet regarding the Hajj. All that is said in this regard are proposals that are still under study.”
According to the statement, the statement of the Special Representative of the Prime Minister of Pakistan for the Middle East and Religious Harmony Taher Al-Ashrafi regarding Hajj is incorrect.
Read More: In Pictures: First Female Saudi Umrah, Hajj guards serve at Grand Mosque
To put the matter to rest, the Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Pir Noorul Haq Qadri released a video statement agreeing with GVS sources.
سعودی وزیر حج و عمرہ کا @NoorulhaqPir سے ٹیلیفونک رابطہ، سعودی حکومت نے ابھی تک #Hajj2021 پر حتمی پالیسی جاری نہیں کی۔ عازمین کی تعداد اور SOPs پر پاکستان کو اعتماد میں لینگے۔ حج سے متعلق میڈیا پر آنے والی خبریں سعودی وزارت صحت کی سفارشات ہیں: پیر نورالحق قادری pic.twitter.com/4GXCxNMFV0
— Ministry of Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony (@MORAisbOfficial) May 23, 2021
Mr. Qadri said that the Saudi Minister for Hajj and Umrah in a telephonic conversation with him had confirmed that Hajj policy 2021 had not been finalized and media reports about the number of pilgrims were mere recommendations from the Saudi Ministry of Health.
Pir Noorul Haq Qadri further said that no decision had been made on the number of pilgrims, the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that are going to be compulsory, and they will be decided upon later.
He added that the Saudi government will take Pakistan into confidence before making a final decision regarding the upcoming Hajj, saying, “Pakistan will announce Hajj policy after the final announcement by the Saudi government.
Read More: Saudi King Salman fires hajj minister in royal decrees
Vaccine Issue
Another ongoing issue between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is the acceptance of the Chinese vaccine in the Kingdom. On Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan said that it had taken up the issue of acceptance of the Chinese vaccine with the Saudi government.
According to recent media reports, Pakistani travelers will have to undergo mandatory quarantine in Saudi Arabia as per new conditions imposed by the kingdom.
However, in light of the acceptance of the Chinese vaccines by WHO, Pakistan has requested the KSA to accept them too, as paying the cost of quarantine would deter what is already a slow vaccination drive in Pakistan.
This non-acceptance could deter Pakistanis from entering the Holy Mosques for one of the holiest annual rituals of Hajj, as the government has been primarily using the Chinese vaccine in its drive to innoculate people.
Hajj Statistics
Last year too, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia downsized Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam and a yearly ritual attended by millions.
Only up to 10,000 Muslim residents of Saudi Arabia itself were allowed to take part in the pilgrimage under strict SOPs.
According to Statista, in the 20 years leading to and including 2019, Hajj had at least 1.8 million people attending the ritual from all over the world. In 2019, the last Hajj before the pandemic, Saudi Arabia saw 2.49 million pilgrims.
However, in the wake of successful vaccination drive all over the world, where according to the NY Times, as of Saturday more than 1.63 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide, equal to 21 doses for every 100 people.
Read More: Smallest Hajj in recent history concludes amidst pandemic
Although the world has a long way to go, the vaccination drive means a securer Hajj in 2021, thus, a higher number of vaccinated people can be allowed in the Holy Mosques for the ritual.