The Taliban’s Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs has announced that individuals who have previously performed the obligatory Hajj and wish to undertake the pilgrimage for a second time will not be eligible to register for the 1406 Hajj season (2027).
The ministry stated that Hajj registration will begin on Sunday across all provinces and continue for one week. It cited the large number of people who have been waiting for years to perform the pilgrimage as the reason for imposing the restriction.
The decision comes as several senior Taliban officials, including Sirajuddin Haqqani and Amir Khan Muttaqi, have travelled to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj again in recent years, despite having undertaken the pilgrimage previously. However, it remains unclear whether the new restriction will also apply to senior Taliban officials.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs has also announced that individuals suffering from severe diseases affecting vital organs, mental and intellectual disabilities, pregnant women, and those with infectious or respiratory diseases will not be permitted to travel for Hajj. According to the ministry, these restrictions have been imposed in accordance with guidelines issued by Saudi Arabia’s ministries responsible for Hajj and Umrah and health.
According to the ministry, individuals selected for Hajj through a lottery must deposit an initial instalment of 150,000 Afghanis with the Afghanistan Bank. The second instalment will be collected once the total cost of the pilgrimage has been determined.
Meanwhile, during this year’s Hajj, a number of Afghan pilgrims complained about the services provided by the Taliban’s Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs. According to the pilgrims, accommodation with limited facilities had been arranged for them in remote areas.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
