FAISALABAD: Hafiz Shafique Kashif, Vice Chairman Travel Agents Association of Faisalabad and Ex-Chairman Haj organizers Association of Pakistan, while talking to ‘Holiday’ expressed his disappointment over the new haj policy and reminded the government of its claim of transforming the country in to a Madina like state. He said that the entire Nation is depressed, disappointed and worried about the new policy.
The Government announced recently the Haj policy 2019 under which the cost of performing the ritual under the government scheme has been fixed at Rs. 456,426(with Qurbani), against last year’s expenses of Rs. 280,000 per person. Now, every individual will have to pay an additional Rs. 176,424 under the new haj policy. The cost of Haj for individual in 2018 was Rs. 280,000.
While talking to Holiday, Mr. Shafique said that in the new policy, the cost of Haj for individual has been fixed at Rs. 456,424 (with qurbani) and Rs. 436,975 (without qurbani). The amount is exorbitant and by doing this the government has made it difficult and impossible for the people of Pakistan to visit Makkah and Madinah.
Praising the previous government, Mr. shafique said that the PML N government made best arrangements for the Hujjaj in a very reasonable amount of Rs. 280,000 per person including Rs. 40,000 of subsidy to each pilgrim during its tenure. Today, after the announcement of new haj policy the people, who were dreaming & desiring to perform haj this year are worried to arrange such big amount.
He further said that surprisingly subsidy has been abolished by the government while the expenses were doubled; the recent increase in Haj expenditure has pushed the religious obligation out of the people’s reach.
He suggested that the government should have given some relief to the poor and middle class people in the Haj cost and ask the government to review its unfavorable new haj policy.
