INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs says that according to the quota set by Saudi Arabia for Afghanistan, the number of Afghan
pilgrims will only be 13,000 this year.A ministry spokesman meanwhile said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has set up a committee
headed by Abdul Salam Hanafi, second deputy prime minister, to address urgent Hajj applicantions this year.According to the spokesman, plans
to transport Afghan pilgrims to Saudi Arabia will be completed within a month.The ministry&s spokesman also stated that included in the
13,000 pilgrims will be those who registered for Hajj in the past few years.Although the new government of Afghanistan has not yet been
recognized by Saudi Arabia, it is providing consular services in Afghanistan to pilgrims.While the Afghan quota [processing] has been
delayed, the ministry is able to provide services to all pilgrims and the committee that has been formed is to solve the problems of
pilgrims,& said Fazl Mohammad Hussaini, spokesman for the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs.However, in addition to the low quota, the
lack of teachers, medicine and a ban on flights are among the problems facing Hajj pilgrims this year.In previous years, more than 30,000
Afghans attended Hajj annually, but in the past three years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Saudi government has imposed severe
restrictions and reduced quotas for countries.The post Saudi sets quota for Hajj, only 13,000 Afghan pilgrims will attend this year first
