ISLAMABAD: The Exorbitant costs have deprived Pakistanis of fulfilling their religious obligations “Hajj” as the government has received 72,896 applications in the Regular scheme against a total 89605 reserved seats.
Hajj Policy 2023 stipulates that 179,210 Hajj quota of Pakistan shall be distributed between Government and Private Hajj Scheme at 50:50 ratios, and 50% quota of each scheme shall be filled through sponsorship for which Hajj dues shall be remitted in US dollars from abroad.
For the year 2023, tentative Hajj Package for Northern region (Multan, Lahore, Sialkot, Islamabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Faisalabad and Peshawar) is Rs 1.17 million and for the South Region (Karachi, Sukkar and Quetta) is Rs 1.16 million, sources added.
On the other hand, private tour operators are charging Hajj fees starting from Rs2 million to Rs5 million respectively.
Sources said that The Ministry of Religious affairs was optimistic to secure $194 million out of the total required $ 284 million under the Sponsorship Scheme.
The ECC and the Cabinet have approved that the Finance Division will provide the remaining $90 million foreign exchange cover for Hajj-2023. At the time of submission of Hajj Policy-2023 to the ECC and the Cabinet, it was assumed that the Sponsorship Scheme will be fully utilized and will secure $ 194 million.
Applicants of the Sponsorship Scheme are required to deposit their full Hajj dues in USD out of which airfare and service charges are paid in Pak rupee. In this way, the Sponsorship Scheme was expected to secure foreign exchange cover for the Regular Scheme also.
This Ministry has decided in consultation with the Finance Division that the remaining quota of the Sponsorship Scheme shall be shifted to the Regular Scheme and thereby all the applicants i.e. 72,869 (against 44,190 seats) be declared successful without balloting.
Resultantly, 28,679 seats of the Sponsorship Scheme are required to be utilized through the Regular Scheme.
Sources said that the ministry of Religious Affairs needs net $213 million for Hajj 2023 out of which $50 million have already been released and remaining $163 million are required from the finance division.
The utilization government after diversion of 28,697 applications to regular schemes and collection of sponsorship schemes will be either given to private schemes or returned to KSA; in both the cases, it will not generate additional demand of foreign exchange.
According to a handout issued by the Finance division, the ECC after discussion approved the arrangement/ modalities for Hajj Scheme-2023 and decided that all received applications under Regular Hajj Scheme i.e 72,869 shall be declared successful without balloting.
The ECC also approved an additional financial requirement of $163 million of foreign exchange for Hajj 2023.
