Govt endeavouring to reduce Hajj expenses, NA told

Mufti Shakoor accuses PTI govt of loot, mismanagement in making Hajj arrangements

ISLAMABAD:

The National Assembly was informed on Friday that the government was in process of negotiations with the relevant Saudi authorities and other stakeholders to reduce the cost of Hajj package and bring down expenses below Rs650,000.

In his policy statement in the house, Religious Affairs Minister Mufti Abdul Shakoor strongly criticised the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, accusing it of loot and mismanagement in making the Hajj arrangements.

"I am still negotiating with the Saudi government and other quarters concerned to further reduce the expenses of upcoming Hajj from 650,000 and to extend maximum facilities to intending pilgrims in performing the religious obligation," the minister told the lower house of parliament.

“The Ministry of Religious Affairs has hired residential buildings in Makkah at a rate of SR2,100 against the rate of SR3,600 paid in 2019 by the then government of the PTI,” he said, adding that the ministry hired buildings in Madina Munawara at SR720 against the rate of SR2,100 paid in 2019.

Mufti Shakoor said that Saudi Arabia had fixed SR9,500 expenses for each pilgrim in D-Category against SR5,500. “Had there been the PTI government today, the Hajj expense would have been more than Rs1,100,000 per pilgrim,” he added

The minister said that he was shocked to see the exorbitant Hajj expenses. He added that his party, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman had also directed him to take measures to reduce the Hajj expenses.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Maulana Fazalur Rehman, the expenses of the upcoming Hajj had been brought down to Rs650,000 and efforts are afoot to further reduce them,” he said, adding: “Food and transport expenses had also been reduced by Saudi Arabia on our request.”

During his speech, the minister used some strong comments against the PTI leadership, including former prime minister Imran Khan. However, Deputy Speaker Zahid Akram Durrani, who chaired Friday’s session, expunged those remarks from the proceedings.

The minister announced a comprehensive and affordable package for Umrah and Ziarat would be introduced soon. He assured that an affordable package for the minorities would also be introduced to facilitate them in visiting their sacred and religious places.

Taking the floor, opposition lawmaker Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali of the Jamaat-e-Islami, said that if the Hajj expenses were being cut to Rs650,000 then why the government was collecting up to Rs800,000 from each pilgrim.

Other lawmakers raised the issue of fuel price hikes. They also sought details of the foreign trips by the ministers. The deputy speaker, meanwhile, informed the house about the arrest of PTI member Ataullah by the Sindh Police. Later, the session was adjourned indefinitely.

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)