No VIP Hajj facilities for MPs: minister

Religious Affairs Minister Senator Talha Mahmood has flatly refused to give VIP Hajj facilities to the members of parliament (MPs).

While answering the questions raised by various members during the National Assembly session on Tuesday, Mahmood said, “The facilities that will be provided to the common Hujjaj will also be provided to the MPs.”

“I have clearly said that no one will perform Hajj for free, neither ministers nor parliamentarians under the VIP protocol,” he said, adding that they would also stay in tents or similar hotels with ordinary pilgrims.

Mahmood said that he had clearly told all the employees of the ministry engaged in the Hajj operation that he would recommend cutting off the hands of whoever was caught stealing in Saudi Arabia.

Mahmood said, “Zamzam water was free before and it is still free but the government of Saudi Arabia is charging money for its packaging.”

Zamzam water is believed to be blessed holy water.

In 2019, he said, they are taking buildings for 2,600 riyals and now for 1,900 to 2,300 riyals. Earlier, the minister said, “our official Hajj quota was 60% and private Hajj quota was 40%”, but this time, the government Hajj quota was 50%.

In total, 179,210 Hajj quota was received for this year, he said adding that 72,800 applications were received under the government Hajj scheme. “All of them have been accepted and the applicants are being sent for Hajj.”

He informed the lower house of parliament that they had to surrender a quota of 8,000. “If we don't surrender, we will have to pay for accommodation, food, transport and other expenses of 8,000 pilgrims.”