Over 100 Afghan officials performing Hajj this year

KABUL (Pajhwok): About 107  government officials have travelled to Saudi Arabia for performing Hajj this year¸ Pajhwok Afghan News findings show.

The officials include cabinet members, governors, police chiefs, deputy police chiefs, mayors and directors from Kabul different provinces.

The Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs says quotas for pilgrims have been determined based on the populations of the provinces and districts.

Of them, 572 are nomadic Kochis, one percent refugees, one percent relatives of martyrs and disabled and a small number of government servants.

According to the MoHRA, about 13,582 people have travelled to Saudi Arabia for Hajj this year. The Hajj flight operation has been completed.

Officials in Saudi Arabia for Hajj

Bakhtar News Agency tweeted that Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar had arrived in Saudi Arabia for performing Hajj.

Last week, Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran tweeted: “We had witnessed the time when we were not allowed to go for Hajj. But today, Alhamd–o–Lillah, Khairullah Khairkha, minister of information, and Interior Minister Anas Haqqani are in Makkah — chanting Labaik laka Labaik.”

Some users of social media also shared the photos of Mullah Fazil Mazlum offering prayers at Masjid-ul-Nabavi.

Amar Yasir, a member of the government’s political office, also tweeted two days ago that he had left Kabul for Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj.

Some sources confirmed to Pajhwok that 111 more officials had gone to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.

Some performing Hajj at own expense

Zabihullah Mujahid, the government’s chief spokesman, said the officials who have gone for Hajj were obliged to perform the ritual

Previously, he added, the officials were denied permission due to the coronavirus and security concerns. “Now there is an opportunity. No one can be stopped performing their duty.”

He said the officials had tasked their deputies to avoid delays in routine work. They were in Saudi Arabia for Hajj at their own expense, he explained.

Other officials

Fazal Mohammad Hussaini, media director for MoHRA, told Pajhwok this year about 13,582 people from          Afghanistan were performing Hajj and the flight operation had been completed.

Pajhwok asked the Ministry of Hajj to share the number of pilgrims and the list of government officials from different provinces. The ministry, however, did not provide the details.

Hussaini insisted: “The Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs provides same services to all pilgrims, whether government officials or ordinary people. I cannot say who will go and who will not but those who have gone there are known to us as pilgrims.”

A delegation from the ministry had travelled to Makkah earlier to arrange for pilgrims teachers, accommodation, transport, food, tents and other services in Mina and Arafat.

According to a Pajhwok report, in the solar year 1391, about 3,000 government servants had gone on Hajj without participating in any draw. Every minister, parliament member and governor had introduced two persons each for Hajj.

In the solar year 1398, former president Ashraf Ghani had underlined the need for reducing the participation of government officials in the process.

sa/mud