Haj expenses for single person decreased by Rs.40,000: Religious Affairs Ministry

Islamabad: (Staff Reporter) The Religious affairs ministry official said that Haj expenses for a single person this year were likely to decrease by Rs.40,000 after productive talks with Saudi government.

According to the source, an official, after a meeting of the Senate’s standing committee on religious affairs the other day, said, “If the rupee remains stable, the Haj package under the government scheme will come down to Rs.1.13 million from Rs.1.17m, for the northern region, and to Rs.1.12m from Rs1.16m for the southern region.” Punjab and KP fall under the northern region while southern region includes Sindh and Baluchistan. The difference is due to lower air fares from the southern region.

As per details to a query over reasons for a jump in expenditure this year under the government scheme, the official cited the Saudi government’s decision to raise charges of food and rents for accommodation in Makkah and Madina made the Hajj expensive.

Furthermore the charges for food have gone up from Rs.53,440 last year to Rs.100,238, and Haj dues from Rs.302,303 to Rs.356,066, he clarified. But, the official continued, the key reason for hefty package was rupee’s declining value.

Moreover the number of Pakistanis allowed by the Saudi government to perform Haj is 179,210. 60% of the quota was usually assigned to the government Haj scheme and 40% to private operators, but the ministry of religious affairs has decided to give 50% of the quota to the latter this year.