KARACHI:This year, 81,132 Pakistani will perform Hajj as it has been allocated second highest quota by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to a report on Friday.

According to the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the biggest quota was allocated to Indonesia followed by Pakistan. The Saudi government has allowed the foreigners to perform Hajj after a lapse of two years as the KSA government has banned the entrance of the Hajj pilgrims from across the globe in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

Last year, Saudi Arabia restricted the annual pilgrimage only to its citizens and residents, and set a maximum limit of 60,000 pilgrims in response to the pandemic. President of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Holy Mosques Abdul-Rahman Al-Sudais has announced that Tahajjud prayers in Masjidul Haram would be started at 12:45am.

This routine will continue till last 10 days of Ramazan, Al-Sudais said adding that the Holy Quran recitation in Tahajjud prayers would be completed on the night of 29th Ramazan. Saudi Arabia has said it will allow one million people – from both inside and outside the kingdom – to perform the Hajj this year compared with only a few thousand local pilgrims over the past two years.

In increasing the numbers, the kingdom’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, Islam’s holiest site, would only be allowed for people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and are under the age of 65. Pilgrims coming from outside the Kingdom are required to submit a negative COVID-19 PCR test result performed within 72 hours of the time of departure to the Kingdom.