The caretaker federal Cabinet has approved amendments in the Hajj Policy 2024 under which children below ten years of age will also be eligible to perform Hajj.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar chaired the Cabinet meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday, in which it was decided to return the unavailed quota of government and private Hajj Schemes to the Saudi government.

Flexibility will be allowed with regard to the condition for Hajj Scheme pilgrims of over 80 years of age.

The Cabinet also approved a reduction in hardship Hajj quota. It was decided that 50% of local moavineen would comprise Pakistani students studying in Saudi universities and their appointment will be made as welfare staff.

Bilateral Investment Treaties with Saudi Arabia and Qatar also got the cabinet’s nod.

The Cabinet allowed the imposition of 40% tax on the windfall profit of banks earned during 2021 and 2022.

Read: Saudi ministry issues guidelines over female pilgrims’ Ihram

The meeting approved the inclusion of nine people on the Exit Control List and deleting 18 others from the ECL along with approval of Congo, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Kyrgyzstan in the business visa list.

The Cabinet approved a budget of Rs267.59 million for the Jammu and Kashmir State property for the current fiscal year.

It exempted Rule No. 8, 13, 35, 38, and 40 of Public Procurement Regulatory Authority Rules 2004 for the procurement of 200,000 metric tonnes of urea from the international market.