Govt Hajj package further reduced by Rs10,000 each, Senate body told

ISLAMABAD: Religious Affairs Minister Noor-ul-Haq Qadri on Wednesday informed the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony that the Government Scheme Hajj package had been reduced further by Rs10,000 for each pilgrim.

Briefing the committee chaired by Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, he said the government scheme hajj package would be Rs480,000 and Rs470,000 for north and south zones, respectively.

The further reduction has been made in four different heads, he said adding that sixty percent pilgrims would perform hajj under government and 40 percent under private scheme.

As many as 179,210 Pakistanis will perform hajj this year.

Saudi government has imposed 300 Riyal visa fee and 110 Riyal Insurance fee on each Haji, which increased hajj package.

The committee directed requesting Saudi authorities to reduce insurance and visa fee.

He said Rapid Response Committee and Joint Core Committee were being constituted for monitoring hajj arrangements in Saudi Arabia during hajj days.

For the first time, 1,000 seats had been reserved for expatriate Pakistanis, he added.

The meeting was attended by Raja Zafar ul Haq, Brig Kenneth John Williams, Kamran Michael, Keshoo Bai, Abid's Muhammad Azeem, Fida Muhammad, and ministry officials.