RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended the issuance of visas for 14 countries, including Pakistan, during the ongoing Hajj season.
The sources say that the visa ban will apply to Umrah, business and family visas, with the restrictions likely to end in mid-June.
With the diplomatic sources saying that the Umrah visa holders can enter Saudi Arabia until April 13, other countries subjected to the visa ban include India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria, Jordan, Algeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Tunisia and Yemen.
With the possibility of a five-year restriction on staying in Saudi Arabia despite the ban, the sources added that the Saudi government has officially informed Pakistan about this decision.
They also mentioned that Pakistani Umrah visa holders have been instructed to return to their country by April 29.
Meanwhile, separately, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has approved the Hajj flight schedule. Under the government Hajj scheme, 89,000 pilgrims will travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj through five airlines.
The schedule will be available on the Pak Hajj mobile application from today. All pilgrims can know about their flight from the application.
The first Hajj flight will depart on April 29, while the last flight will leave on May 31. Five flights will depart from Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Multan on April 29. –Agencies
