ISLAMABAD, 26 December 2004 — Saudi Arabia has approved Pakistan’s request for an additional quota of 4,000 Haj pilgrim visas and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Pakistan, will likely to receive a confirmation in this regard by next week, according to official sources.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had made a request to Saudi Arabia for the additional quota to accommodate some deserving cases, the sources said. Minister of Religious Affairs Ijazul Haq had visited the Kingdom recently to make a formal request to the Saudi government and got a very positive response.
The Saudi Ministry of Haj, had asked Pakistan’s Haj authorities to assure them about arranging accommodation for the additional pilgrims, a prerequisite for the Saudi permission. The Ministry of Haj has fulfilled the formality.
The additional quota, which will increase the number of total Pakistanis going for Haj to 154,000, will be allotted by the prime minister’s office.
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