KARACHI – The Religious Affairs Ministry has announced new rules for women’s participation in Hajj 2025, linking pilgrimage with permission from husband or family members. As per the recent update, women will be unable to participate in Hajj without prior permission. The new policy allows women to travel alone for pilgrimage, but only if they meet specific conditions outlined by the top Islamic body – the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII). A decision made by an Islamic body said a woman must be granted permission by her parents or, if married, by her husband. The woman needs to be accompanied by a group of trusted female pilgrims to ensure her safety and dignity throughout the sacred journey. For the unversed, Pakistani women were not allowed to travel alone for Hajj, and Umrah in previous years, Kingdom also ended restrictions amid part of broader reforms aimed at enhancing women’s rights in the kingdom. For this year, the Saudi government allocated total of 179,210 Hajj slots to Pakistan for this year, with 89,602 pilgrims going under the government scheme and the remaining slots filled by private tour operators. The new Hajj policy also stipulates that children under 12 will not be allowed to participate in the pilgrimage, and all pilgrims must meet the vaccination requirements set by Saudi health authorities. More from this category Copyright ©2024. Reproduction of this website's content without express written permission from 'Daily Pakistan' is strictly prohibited.