Govt reduces Hajj expenses by Rs100,000
Pakistan
Assures there will be no compromise on quality of Hajj arrangements
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – A significant cut in the expenses incurred on Hajj has been announced.
Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs Aneeq Ahmed told a press conference on Thursday that the Hajj policy had been approved and the cost for each intending pilgrim had come down by Rs100,000.
Sharing salient features of the new Hajj policy in Islamabad, he said it’s the first time in the country that the cost of Hajj had been revised downward.
Ahmed said the Hajj cost under the government scheme had been reduced to Rs1,075,000 for the next Hajj from Rs1,175,000. He assured there would be no compromise on the quality of Hajj arrangements despite reduction in expenses.
The minister said the Hajj quota for Pakistan was 179,210 which would be equally distributed between the government and private Hajj schemes.
Ahmed said negotiations were continuing with the airlines to get reduced airfare for the Hajj operation. He said if we succeed in securing relief in the airfare, the amount will be transferred to the accounts of pilgrims.
He said the pilgrims would also get back Rs35,000 each if they choose to stay four instead of eight days in Medina.
He said Hajj 2024 would be digitalised wherein pilgrims would get a mobile application that could be used without internet. The app will have many options including the one of lodging complaints.
He said the pilgrims would be provided with many free of cost things including a SIM with 7 GB data, a suitcase having QR code, Ihram belts for men, Abaya for women and shoe bags.
He said the Hajj applications would be received from the 27th of this month and this process would continue till Jan 12 next month. An advertisement in this regard would soon be published.
The minister said apart from Islamabad airport, Karachi had also been included in Road to Makkah project. He said they had also requested Saudi Arabia to include Lahore in it.
