Senator Talha Mehmood, the Religious Affairs Minister, declared that the ministry will be giving a refund of Rs. 12 million to Pakistani pilgrims who participated in this year’s Hajj through the government-sponsored scheme.
Owing to the effective cost-saving measures, tens of thousands of pilgrims will get a partial refund of Rs. 97,000 in their bank accounts next week. Additional amounts will be given to those who struggled to secure accommodations in Madinah or has to stay far from central locations, and those who could not avail of the train facility.
The hajj operation conducted by the government will come to an end next week, with more than 160,000 Pakistanis having completed the most sacred journey of their lives. The quota for the next year has been set at 179,210 pilgrims.
Talha Mehmood expressed disappointment with the private Hajj operators who did not provide the promised services and charged hefty amounts. The government will take actions on such complaints. He also reiterated the government’s dedication to reducing the cost of Hajj and ensuring the well-being of pilgrims.
Government has allocated approximately Rs. 16.5 billion under the Hajj package to ensure financial assistance to the pilgrims.
