ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs will hire 900 Pakistani students studying in Saudi Arabia as Khuddam-ul-Hujjaj for this year's pilgrimage.
Under the Hajj policy-2011, the number of local Khuddam has been increased from 250 to 900, official sources told APP.
Efforts are underway to involve Pakistani community in Saudi Arabia for voluntary services in Mashair, free of cost, with the spirit of rendering services to their Pakistani brethren, he said.
Director General (Hajj) has been requested to collect the data of Pakistani community and persuade the volunteers for welfare of hajj pilgrims.
Nominations from PAF, Pakistan Navy, Boy Scouts and Civilian Armed Forces have been received and are being processed.Deployment will be chalked out in consultation with the Director, Khuddam-ul-Hujjaj.
Standard operating procedure (SOP) for seasonal staff and its selection has been issued while nominations of 100 people from other Ministries/Divisions and Provincial departments have been invited in light of the quota.
This year, one dispensary will be set up at each residential building acquired for the Hujjaj performing the religious obligation under the government scheme. The facility, equipped with doctors and paramedical staff, will be functional round-the-clock, they said.
All 86,000 Hajj applicants have been declared as eligible for performing the Hajj 2011 under government scheme.
" All the applicants, who submitted applications in various banks by May 29 will be eligible to perform Hajj 2011 as the Government has withdrawn its 15 percent quota with the resolve to facilitate the intending pilgrims."
Elaborating the Minister said as per past practices, the government withholds 15 percent quota to facilitate the labours and the needy.
Process of submitting applications were started on May, 15 and within ten days on May 26 about 76,000 people had submitted their applications in various banks while the total number of intending pilgrims reached to 86,000 on May 29.
Banks have been started to submit passports to the ministry as it has been decided to dispatch 7,000 passports daily to Saudi embassy for stamping visa.
Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011
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