Hajj scheme: govt announces to refund Rs97,000 to each pilgrim

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs has announced to refund Rs12 billion to the pilgrims under the government Hajj scheme, with each Hajji receiving a refund of Rs97,000, starting from Monday.

Speaking at a news conference in Islamabad on Thursday, Minister for Religious Affairs Talha Mahmood stated that “22,600 pilgrims who could not find accommodation in Mina and were not availing the train facility will be refunded Rs21,000 per head.”

“Similarly, 18,000 pilgrims who chose to stay outside the central zone in Madinah will be refunded an additional amount of Rs14,000 per head,” he added.

Read more: Pakistani govt will charge Hajj expenses in US dollar

The minister expressed his disappointment over the arrangements made by the private operators, stating that some of them charged pilgrims exorbitant amounts, despite already receiving a fee of Rs2.5 million from each pilgrim.

“Immediate action will be taken against such unscrupulous Hajj operators,” he announced.

“Hajj 2023 operations are coming to an end, and the last flight will arrive back in the country on August 2, after which preparations for Hajj 2024 will begin,” Mahmood said.

He said that “Pakistan has been allocated 179,210 Hajj seats for the next year.”

“We want the Hajj to be more affordable next year, and efforts will be made to minimize the difficulties faced by the pilgrims.”

“The cost of Hajj has increased due to the rise in the value of the US dollar, but despite that, we have made Hajj more affordable. More than 160,000 Pakistanis have had the opportunity to perform Hajj this year,” he said.

He also mentioned: “We have already refunded Rs55,000 per head to the pilgrims under the government scheme. Now, all the pilgrims under the government scheme will be refunded an additional amount of Rs97,000 per head.”

According to the minister, “This total amount sums up to Rs12 billion, of which, we have already returned Rs4.5 billion. By utilizing sea transport and better planning, we have managed to reduce the Hajj expenses.”

The government’s initiative to refund the pilgrims aims to alleviate their financial burden and ensure a more accessible Hajj experience for the citizens of Pakistan.