Pakistani companies linked to Hajj, Umrah decide up after 2-year coronavirus hiatus
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani companies linked to Hajj and Umrah have picked up this yr as pilgrims and their households flock to Hajj markets after Saudi Arabia enormously expanded the important thing pilgrimage to contributors from exterior the Kingdom after two years of tight COVID-19 restrictions.
Saudi Arabia has allowed 1 million individuals from each inside and outdoors the Kingdom to carry out this yr’s Hajj, which was restricted to only 1,000 native residents in 2020.
Final yr, the Kingdom restricted the pilgrimage to 60,000 home contributors, in contrast with the pre-coronavirus pandemic determine of two.5 million. Pilgrims this Hajj season have to be not more than 65 years previous, and totally vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19.
In Pakistan, which has been given a Hajj quota of 81,132 individuals, aspiring pilgrims have been frequenting Hajj bazaars to finish their listing of round 40 mandatory objects for the pilgrimage, together with the ihram clothes, prayer rugs, rosaries, cranium caps, belts, sandal, fragrance-free soaps, and pebble pouches.
One go-to place for such buying is Madinah Market in Rawalpindi, which contains of greater than 200 outlets in a multi-story constructing within the slim, jam-packed streets of the town’s well-known Raja Bazaar.
“Enterprise remained useless for 2 years, but it surely has began flourishing once more with the revival of Hajj and Umrah,” Muhammad Usman Nawab, who has been promoting Hajj and Umrah objects for the final 25 years, informed Arab Information.
Pilgrims and their households from so far as Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan have been beating Rawalpindi’s visitors rush to go to outlets on the Hajj Bazaar, significantly to purchase the ihram, a white, two-piece seamless wrap, and different objects.
“The costs of all objects have nearly doubled, and the variety of prospects has dropped under 50 %,” Nawab mentioned. “Prospects usually are not able to digest the sky-high costs and that’s changing into a bit troublesome for us. However we nonetheless thank Allah our enterprise has no less than began reviving.”
“The price of every part has escalated manifold, however I’m nonetheless excited to go to Allah’s house together with my household,” Malik Zaheer, an aspiring pilgrim, informed Arab Information. “Allah has invited me out of this small quantity … I’m fortunate he has invited us.”
Arshad Kamran, who has been dealing in Hajj clothes and different associated objects at Madinah Marketplace for the final 5 years, mentioned he was making an attempt to supply inexpensive costs at his store.
“Inflation and taxes have doubled the costs of every part, however our enterprise is a bit totally different,” he informed Arab Information. “It’s instantly linked to Allah as individuals’s aspirations and fervour is similar.”
Arshad Mahmood, who carried out Hajj in 2018 and was now buying an ihram for his youthful brother, lamented the excessive costs of Hajj objects.
“All the pieces was low-cost (in 2018), however now inflation has skyrocketed,” he mentioned, including that no less than Madinah Market made his Hajj buying extra handy. “I don’t must shuttle between totally different markets to finish my required listing of things.”
