Pakistan religious body gives approval to women performing Hajj without close male relative

Islamabad [Pakistan], June 16 : Women in Pakistan have been officially given permission by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) to perform Hajj without a Mehram in specific circumstances, reported Geo News.

According to Fiqah-e-Jafria, the Maliki and Shafi'i schools of thought, and Shariat, a woman is permitted to make the yearly Islamic pilgrimage without a Mehram (a close male relative).

A woman who has permission from her parents or spouse can perform Hajj without a Mehram, according to the CII spokesperson, Geo News reported.

Moreover, the Ministry of Religious Affairs also sought the opinion of the council on the matter.

The Saudi Arabian government, in October last year, announced that Mehram a male blood relative with whom marriage is not permissible is no longer required to accompany a woman pilgrim from any part of the world.

The Saudi Minister for Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, made the statement at a press conference, bringing an end to the Kingdom's lengthy reign, according to Geo News.

Without a Mehram and in the company of "trusted women or a secure company, women are allowed to conduct Hajj or Umrah. This is the viewpoint of the Maliki and Shafi'i scholars, Geo News quoted Ahmed Saleh Halabi, advisor for Hajj and Umrah Services, as saying.