PM Shehbaz hints at ‘power relief package’ for winter season

The Federal Cabinet has approved the Hajj Policy 2025 under which this year’s Hajj package for government scheme will cost over Rs1 million, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The decision was taken at the cabinet meeting held in Islamabad on Tuesday under the chair of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Addressing the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hinted at announcing a power relief package for the winter season and emphasised facilitating the businessmen to boost their morale.

Hajj Policy 2025

According to the Hajj quota, 179,210 pilgrims from Pakistan will perform Hajj next year.

Under the government scheme, the Hajj will cost between Rs10,65,000 and Rs10,75,000.

Under the Hajj Policy 2025, children under the age of 12 will not be allowed to travel for Hajj this year.

Besides that, the balloting of those who will perform the religious ritual under the government quota will be computerized.

Similarly, 1,000 seats will be reserved for hardship cases, while 300 for labourers and those belonging to low-income groups.

The ‘Road to Mecca facility’ will be available at Karachi and Islamabad airports. 

The cabinet was informed that this time in order to oversee the provision of better facilities to pilgrims, a new post of ‘nazim’ had been introduced, who would be picked up from amongst the welfare staff. 

It was told that each nazim will be responsible for 100 pilgrims.

It was also informed that the amount to be paid as compensation to the family of a pilgrim dying during the Hajj had been increased; each such family would be paid between Rs1 million and Rs2 million. 

Likewise, the compensation amount for those getting injured during the performance of the ritual had also been increased to Rs1 million.

The cabinet was told that this time a special Hajj management application had been introduced to facilitate the pilgrims, and that special arrangements had been made for their training as well.  

The cabinet members urged that those people should be given preference during balloting who would be performing Hajj for the first time.

PM Shehbaz Sharif’s address

Addressing the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while lauding the policy rate reduction by the State Bank of Pakistan to 15%, said the government’s economic stability measures were coming to fruition.

Shehbaz Sharif said a further two percent reduction of the policy rate was a pleasing development for business, agriculture, exports, and commerce sectors. The SBP had gradually reduced the policy rate from 22% to 15%, encouraging people to invest their money in the economy to create jobs, enhance production, and exports, he added.

The prime minister said said the policy rate reduction would decrease the debt burden by Rs1.3 trillion providing huge relief and creating a great fiscal space for the country. He expressed the hope that the country’s economy would strengthen if the indicators continued to move positively.

Shehbaz Sharif informed the cabinet that in a follow-up of his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, a Pakistani delegation had left for the Kingdom to discuss cooperation in mining and minerals, solar energy and skilled IT workforce which was required by both Saudi Arabia and Qatar. He asked the IT ministry to give a presentation to explain their strategy to produce IT workforce of international standard to make them cope with the requirements of both the countries.

Calling for swift action on B2B MoUs with Saudi Arabia, Shehbaz Sharif said the Azerbaijan government had also given a green signal for the signing of $2 billion MoUs to strengthen bilateral cooperation. “These are good signals. How we take advantage of these is up to us,” he remarked.

Shehbaz Sharif also hinted at announcing a power relief package for the winter season and emphasised facilitating the businessmen to boost their morale. “We are taking measures bit by bit for relief of the common man to create jobs and run the economy. This is a tough journey but only the nations which face the challenges are destined to succeed,” he remarked.

Reporter Awais Kiyani