Govt Hajj Scheme: Senate Body Expresses Reservations On Proposed Increase Rs115,000 This Year

Umer Jamshaid Published January 23, 2020 | 06:38 PM

Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Thursday expressed the reservations over the proposed increase Rs115,000 in Government Hajj Scheme package this year and directed the ministry to justify it in the next meeting to avoid rejection

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Jan, 2020 ) :Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Thursday expressed the reservations over the proposed increase Rs115,000 in Government Hajj Scheme package this year and directed the ministry to justify it in the next meeting to avoid rejection.

Chairing the meeting Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said the ministry was increasing Hajj package every year, making a bit difficult for poor to perform this religious obligation.

Earlier, briefing the committee Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Secretary Mian Mushtaq Ahmed Borana said this year 179,000 Pakistanis would perform Hajj and government package would be increased by 115,000 per person.

The package for North Region would be Rs550,000 and for South Rs545,000 per intending pilgrim, he added.

He said the main reason of increase was depreciation in rupee against the Dollar, increase in airlines fares etcetera.

The secretary said the ministry had returned Rs5 billion to Hujjaj performed Hajj on government scheme last year. Each Haji was returned Rs37,000 to Rs60,000, he added. The committee expressed its dismay over the absence of Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sahibzada Noor-ul-Haq Qadri from the meeting and directed to ensure his presence in the next meeting of the committee, scheduled to be held next week.

The secretary while reasoning over the absence of the minister from the meeting informed that he was in Karachi to attend a meeting of Ulema and Mashaikh Council.