Lahore High Court directed the religious affairs ministry on Monday to allow Shia women to perform Haj without Mehram.
Justice Ayesha A. Malik granted the interim relief to Shia women after the ministry’s counsel sought more time to disclose the name of the official who had decided to follow a 2013 recommendation of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) to allow women pilgrims to perform Haj only with mehram.
The judge put off the matter till Oct 14. She was hearing a petition questioning the ‘discriminatory treatment’ meted out to Shia pilgrims, particularly women, during the process to go to Saudi Arabia for Haj.
