Srinagar: The Haj Committee of India on Monday started online registration for those who wish to undertake the Haj pilgrimage next year.
The last date for submission of application forms is November 30.
Meanwhile, private Haj operators have expressed surprise over the Haj Committee’s decision as there is no official announcement by the Saudi government on Haj 2022 so far.
General secretary, All Jammu and Kashmir Haj Umrah Tour Operators Association, Umar Nazir Tibetbakal told The Indus Post that there was no clarity on whether Haj 2022 would be open for all. “There is no official announcement by the Saudi Arabia government so far regarding Haj 2022,” he said.
He further said, “Due to the widespread Covid-19 infection in India, the country still falls under the red zone. The Umrah services have largely been denied to the people of the subcontinent consecutively for the past two years.”
The Ministry of Haj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia this year allowed all the nationalities residing in Saudi Arabia to perform Haj. However, foreigners were not allowed to undertake the pilgrimage in order to ensure the safety of the pilgrims and to stop the transmission of Covid-19.