Senate panel expresses reservations over government plan to hike Hajj cost: report

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ISLAMABAD: The cost of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah might increase by up to Rs125,000 for Pakistani pilgrims this year, a Senate panel was informed on Thursday. 

According to a report published in The News, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led government revealed plans for the hike during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony. 

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The committee expressed reservations over the increase in the fare and directed the religious affairs ministry to justify the cost hike in the next meeting to avoid the rejection of the government proposal. 

The meeting of the committee was chaired by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri. The JUI-F leader said that the government increased the cost of Hajj every year. 

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"The ministry is increasing the cost of the Haj package every year, making it difficult for the poor to perform the religious obligation," Senator Haideri reportedly told government officials at the meeting. 

In a briefing to the committee, the secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Mian Mushtaq Ahmed Borana, said that 179,000 Pakistanis were expected to perform Hajj this year. 

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"The government Hajj package for the northern region will cost Rs550,000 while it will amount to Rs545,000 for the southern region per intending pilgrim," he said in the meeting yesterday, The News reported. 

"The main reason for the increase is the depreciation of the rupee against the dollar, in addition to an increase in airline fares, and other costs," the secretary added, according to The News

The committee expressed its dismay over the absence of Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Noorul Haq Qadri at the meeting and issued directions for him to be present in the next meeting. 

Originally published in The News