RIYADH/ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia on Thursday told Pakistan not to prepare a Hajj agreement this year as the coronavirus panic spreads throughout the world, according to a letter received from the kingdom.
In the letter sent to Religious Affairs Minister Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, Saudi Hajj and Umrah Minister Dr Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten said there should be no agreement this time owing to the lockdown and containment measures against the novel coronavirus.
The kingdom, according to Dr Mohammad Saleh, was continuously monitoring the situation and said that it will inform as soon as a marked improvement regarding the coronavirus was observed.
Qadri consequently halted work on the upcoming Hajj agreement.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony had conducted balloting for the government's Hajj scheme under which almost 100,000 pilgrims were picked to would go to Saudi Arabia to perform the annual pilgrimage later this year.
India was involved in four other killings as well prior to this, says Mohsin Naqvi
Nasreen Jalil wants govt to compensate families of those who have been killed in street crimes
Victim's brother alleges policeman tortured and killed his sister and threw her body on a railway track
Customs collector says PM gave no instruction about sending overseas Pakistanis through the Green Channel
Weather in the metropolis will remain cloudy as the westerly winds have left Sindh
Iranian envoy says they will free the Pakistanis after confirming their nationalities due to brotherly ties
