As inflation is on the surge, performing Hajj has also become costlier this year; however, the government claims that it has reduced the Hajj expenses to the maximum extent.
The federal cabinet on Tuesday gave approval to the Hajj policy 2020 under which the Hajj under the government scheme would be costing Rs.490,000 to each pilgrim with 7.35 per cent surge in comparison to the cost of Hajj in 2019.
But, the Minister for Religious Affairs has said at a press conference that the government had curbed the Hajj expenses to the maximum possible limit otherwise it would have cost Rs.540,000 for each pilgrim.
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The minister also said that the devaluation of rupee against US dollar and the surge in the airfares and the accommodation expenses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are the major reasons behind the slight surge in the cost of Hajj prices.
He also said that this year all the pilgrims from any country had to give an extra 410 Saudi Riyals to the government of Saudi Arabia as 300 Riyals would be charged at the time of issuance of the visa and 110 Saudi Riyals as the health insurance.
The minister also said that this year 179,210 pilgrims from Pakistan would be performing Hajj, 60 per cent of them under the government quota and 40 per cent under the private tour operators’ quota.
Under the Hajj policy of 2020, Rs.490,000 including the Qurbani charges have been fixed for the Hajj for all pilgrims from the north side of the nation and Rs.480,000 for the south.
The minister has made the claims that this year the pilgrims would be offered more facilities and all the arrangements had been made to provide them ease during the Hajj.
Source: RS News
