‘Five-member committee formed to ensure accommodation for pilgrims’

Religious affairs minister briefs standing committee on Hajj 2011.

ISLAMABAD:

Approximately 0.2 million Pakistanis will perform Hajj under various schemes this year, according to Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah.

During a meeting of the Senate standing committee on religious affairs, Shah said the air fare per pilgrim will be Rs 84,000 while the total Hajj expenditure will be Rs222,000 per pilgrim. He also said that the air fare will be Rs72,000 for those travelling from Quetta, Karachi and Sukkar.

The minister said that 900 Pakistani students, who are already in Saudi Arabia, will perform the duties of Khudamul Hujjaj and will be paid 75 riyal per day. Shah also informed the committee that 180 doctors along with two staff members will be present during this year’s Hajj.

The minister also said that the system of random draws for Hajj has been abolished and told the committee that a five-member committee has been constituted to hire buildings for the accommodation of pilgrims. This process will be completed by June and the rent paid by the government will amount to 3,600-4,000 riyals per pilgrim, he said.

Shah also informed the committee that the draft for the new Hajj policy is underway while Secretary Religious Affairs Shoukat Durani told the committee that the policy will be announced on April 13. Durrani also said that the applications for this year’s Hajj will be invited between April 10 and April 30.

Officials of the religious ministry told the committee that those who have performed Hajj in the last five years will not be allowed to go this year. It has also been decided that this year the pilgrims will not be given 1,000 riyals, which was earlier a practice of the government.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th,  2011.