Govt to collect Haj expenses in dollars next year: Talha

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Talha Mehmood on Sunday announced to collect all expenses of Haj in US dollars from next year. He congratulated the 160,000 Pakistani pilgrims on performing Haj.

Praising the efforts of Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, Talha said no untoward incident was reported during Haj 2023 in Jamarat and most of the pilgrims seemed satisfied with the arrangements.

Addressing a post-Haj press conference, Talha said he had brought the Haj quota to over 179,000 for the 2024 Haj. Next year, the Haj expenses would be collected in US dollars not in Pakistani rupees, he said.

The minister said the Saudi government made excellent arrangements on the occasion of Haj and he himself visited hotels of Pakistani Hajis. The Pakistani mission provided maximum assistance to Pakistanis during Haj.

Senator Talha said he was offered to perform Haj as a guest of state but he preferred to perform Haj as a common man. He had discussed the problems of Haj pilgrims with the Saudi minister, who ensured him of solving the problems in future.

The religious minister said that he did not allow anyone to perform free-of-cost Haj and will not allow it in future too. He said he had paid his Haj expenses as a minister and remained with other Pakistani Hajis and performed Haj.

While answering a question, Talha said he had no knowledge how many people performed Haj with President Arif Alvi as the president’s Haj had nothing to do with his ministry.