Pakistani women will now be able to perform Hajj even without a Mehram (male relative), reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Friday.

Sources informed that a draft of the new Hajj policy has been prepared for approval from the federal cabinet.

The Hajj application process for the next year will be started after the cabinet approves the new policy.

The Government of Pakistan is going to adopt a lax Hajj policy after the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah eased the Hajj policy.

The government is also in the process of preparing a policy for the provision of topics for the Friday prayers sermons.

After the approval of the policy, the government would provide Friday prayers’ sermon topics to the Ulema (clerics).

The Ministry of Religious Affairs is of the opinion that there should be a simultaneous discussion across the country on what are the injunctions of the Holy Quran on various issues.

The ministry has also prepared strict rules regarding the sighting of the crescent moon (Ruet-e-Hilal).

Only the Ruet-e-Hilal committee will announce the sighting of the crescent moon, no private committees will be allowed to do so, the ministry recommended.

Reporter Usman Khan