The intending pilgrims of private hajj scheme have been asked to contact their nearest Etimad Visa Service Centers for biometric verification of their finger prints. According to a social media message of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony and Hajj Group Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP), the biometric verification of the finger prints of the intending pilgrims has been made mandatory by the Saudi government.
The Hajj Group Organizers (HGOs) have started receiving confirmation messages of uploading of the forms/particulars of their client pilgrims on the official website of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony and they should approach their nearest Etimad Centre for verification by showing the confirmation messages of the ministry.
The intending pilgrims will have to bring original bank receipt, Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC) and passport with them for the verification. The biometric verification of intending pilgrims was being conducted at 26 Visa Service Centres of Etimad, in Faisalabad, Multan, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Sukkur, Sialkot and Rahim Yar Khan. The intending pilgrims below six years of age and over 80 years of age were exempted from biometric verification. Hujjaj will not be allowed to leave for Saudi Arabia sans biometric verification. The pilgrims who have not yet received the confirmation messages have been asked to contact their respective HGO.