Hajj likely to be affected due to coronavirus once again: Noor-ul-Haq Qadri

• Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noor-ul-Haq Qadri says Hajj may be affected this year as well
• Says Saudi Arabia has still not started accepting Hajj applications from pilgrims
• Says he is aware of the concerns of Pakistanis regarding Hajj and is in contact with Saudi authorities in this regard

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noor-ul-Haq Qadri on Wednesday said that Saudi authorities have so far refused to accept applications from pilgrims, therefore, Hajj will likely be affected in 2021 as well.

According to a report by Geo Urdu, Noor-ul-Haq Qadri told journalists that he is aware of people's concerns regarding Hajj, adding that he is "constantly in touch with the Saudi Arabian authorities in this regard."

Noor-ul-Haq Qadri said that unlike each year, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has not signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Pakistan regarding Hajj yet.

Read more: Saudi Arabia opens borders for Umrah, 10,000 pilgrims arrive in country

It should be noted that Saudi Arabia allowed a limited number of pilgrims (10,000 people) to perform Hajj last year in view of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Among the pilgrims who were allowed to perform Hajj, 70 per cent were foreign immigrants living in Saudi Arabia and 30 per cent were Saudi citizens.

Read more: Prospects brighten for Hajj 2021 as Saudi Arabia decides to reopen all airports