Thousands of Pakistanis apply for Hajj despite coronavirus concerns

• To date, some 66,585 Hajj applications have been received in 13 designated banks across the country.
• The collection of Hajj applications will continue till March 6.

Thousands of Pakistanis have submitted their application for the Hajj scheme, despite dangers of novel coronavirus looms.

To date, some 66,585 Hajj applications have been received in 13 designated banks across the country, informed the spokesperson of Ministry of Religious Affairs. The government official said that the applicants must seek sealed receipt from the bank. Correct any error in the documents from the bank immediately if there is a mistake in data, the ministry said.

This year total 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims will perform the sacred religious ceremony this year. It may be mentioned here that Saudi Arabia on Thursday placed an immediate ban on Umrah pilgrims travelling from the countries where coronavirus cases have been confirmed including Pakistan, after two cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the country.

In a statement the Kingdom's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the country has temporarily suspended entry of individuals seeking to perform Umrah pilgrimage or visiting the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah.

The statement further said that these precautions are temporary and are subject to continuous evaluation by the authorities. The kingdom has not reported cases of the coronavirus, but surrounding Bahrain and Kuwait have confirmed cases.

Meanwhile, the collection of Hajj applications will continue till March 6.