Pakistan decides to introduce Islamic dress for women pilgrims
Religious Affairs Minister Ejazul Haq says the government has decided to introduce an Islamic dress for Pakistani women pilgrims.
The special dress would serve as an identity for Pakistani pilgrims and fulfil requirements of the mandatory veil (hijab), he told the reporters.
Haq announced that provincial committees would be set up to probe pilgrims complaints against Haj tour operators. The licences would be renewed of only those tour operators against whom no complaints were registered, he said.
The minister said the government would begin preparations for the next Haj soon after the completion of this one and pilgrims would now be trained in line with decrees by Saudi scholars.
He said three million Muslims from 187 countries performed the Haj this year and 147,000 of them were Pakistanis - 77,000 under government schemes and 70,000 through tour operators.
The government had set up two hospitals in Mecca and Medina, he said and added that it had spent Rs 9.5 million on healthcare for Pakistani pilgrims.
About 140 Pakistani pilgrims died during Haj this year.