Elections Commission member joins Hajj Corporation advance team
The pilgrims are expected to begin departing on 26 May.
Elections Commission member Hassan Zakariyya has joined the Hajj Corporation’s advance team that departed for Mecca on Friday to prepare for the departure of Maldivian pilgrims scheduled for later this month.
Multiple sources within the Hajj Corporation confirmed that Zakariyya is serving as an assistant within the team tasked with making logistical arrangements for this year’s Hajj. The pilgrims are expected to begin departing on 26 May.
Footage broadcast by PSM from Velana International Airport prior to the team’s departure showed Zakariyya wearing Ihram.
Attempts to reach Zakariyya for comment were unsuccessful as his phone was switched off at the time of inquiry.
Hajj Corporation Managing Director Mohamed Shakeel confirmed to Atoll Times that the advance team consists of 17 members, including doctors, nurses, assistants, and employees of the Corporation.
Shakeel said that assistants are recruited through a public announcement followed by an interview process. When asked whether Zakariyya was selected through this process, he responded that any eligible person could apply, regardless of their current position.
He added that the selection process has previously included individuals in law enforcement and that the Corporation does not exclude individuals based on their roles in other institutions.
