The government will provide a Hajj subsidy of Rs. 150,000 to each pilgrim, said the Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Mufti Abdul Shakoor on Tuesday while breaking down the expenses for the annual pilgrimage.
“Total expenses on Hajj will be Rs860,000, while for the Southern region these expenses would be Rs850,000,” the minister said, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.
Breakdown of Hajj Expenses
- Rs112,000 – stay in Makkah
- Rs38,000 – stay in Madina
- Rs84,500 – transport
- Rs56,000 – food
- Rs300,000 – Hajj expenses for Saudi Arabia
- Rs45,000 – animal sacrifice
- Rs16,000 – visa fee
He added that Hajj expenses continued to rise over the last two years. However, the new coalition government is trying its best to reduce the burden as much as possible.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) would charge private Hajj pilgrims in US Dollars. According to the details, The PIA airfares for the Hajj pilgrims from Southern region and Northern region are likely to remain in the range of $810 to $1,100 and $860 to $1,150, respectively, according to the national airline.
According to the details, PIA is expected to take around 14,000 pilgrims on the government quota and around 16,000 private pilgrims during this Hajj season. It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan has a quota of 81,000 pilgrims and normally the government takes 60% of the quota and allots the remaining to the private operators.
Read more: PIA to Charge Private Hajj Pilgrims in US Dollars.
