Pakistan haj mahram policy unaligned with Saudi’s, exception for Shia women
Photo: Muslim pilgrims pray around the holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque ahead of the annual haj pilgrimage in Mecca September 21, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood
With rules disallowing female haj pilgrims without a male relative, fewer women than men from Pakistan go for haj every year. For the first time, this year, a court ruling allows Shia women over 45 years of age to apply without mahram
Despite a new ruling that allows Shia women over 45 to apply to travel for haj without a male guardian, Pakistan’s sex ratio for haj pilgrims continues to favour men. The country has sent 43.75 percent of women and 56.25 percent men for haj this year, official data reveals. Last year, the percentage of men to women was even more skewed with 57.17 percent men among 71,646 pilgrims under the government haj scheme.
For haj 2017, 610 Shia women were selected by the Ministry for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony by computerised balloting systems to go for haj under the government’s scheme.
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Shalini Seth, White Paper Media