The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has relaxed rules in a bid to facilitate the Hajj pilgrims at the maximum level, APP reported on Tuesday.

In a statement, Religious Affairs Ministry’s spokesperson Muhammad Umar Butt said the relaxations were made in the specific cases on the strong insistence of the pilgrims.

Under the new rules, the pilgrims whose passports were not valid till January 5, 2023, could also submit Hajj applications on the tokens provided by the Passport Office for their passports’ renewal.

Umar Butt, however, said that the pilgrims must submit the new passports by May 18, 2022. "Otherwise, it would be considered a failure," he added.

He further said other applicants were required to submit their passports along with the Hajj applications in designated branches of the scheduled banks.

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The spokesperson said that the overseas Pakistanis could also apply for Hajj on the photocopies of passports and National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis valid till January 5, 2023, provided that they must send a request for booking in the last Hajj flights to the ministry through their banks and take full responsibility if their visas were declined in case of late submission of the passports. It was mandatory for them to provide their original passports before Zul Qadah 20, he added.

He said those who performed Hajj between 2015 and 2019 were not eligible to apply under the government Hajj scheme this year, except for those men who were Shariah Muharram of the females’ relatives who had not performed Hajj during the said period.

He said children under the age of 12 who had not been vaccinated could also apply for Hajj. This matter was subject to approval from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

He said all the 14 selected banks had been issued instructions regarding these rules.