Next year’s Hajj will be digital, to cost 1.075 million rupees
Stay tuned with 24 News HD Android App
The next year’s Hajj pilgrimage will cost 1.075 million rupees, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
This was announced by Caretaker Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Aneeq Ahmed while unveiling the 2024 Hajj Police at a news conference in Islamabad on Thursday.
The Hajj package under the government’s Hajj Policy 2024 for each pilgrim has been reduced by one hundred thousand rupees.
Sharing salient features of the new Hajj policy, Aneeq Ahmed said the Hajj cost under the government scheme has been reduced to 10,75,000 rupees for the next Hajj from 11,75,000 of this year's Hajj. He assured that there will be no compromise on the quality of Hajj arrangements regardless of reduction in expenses.
The Minister for Religious Affairs said the Hajj quota for Pakistan is 179,210 which will be equally distributed between the government and private Hajj schemes.
Aneeq Ahmed said that negotiations are continuing with the airlines to get reduced airfare for the Hajj operation. He said if we succeed in securing relief in the airfare, the amount will be transferred to the accounts of pilgrims. He said the pilgrims will also get back 35,000 rupees if they choose to stay four instead of eight days in Madinah.
Aneeq Ahmad said Hajj 2024 will be digitalized wherein pilgrims will get a mobile application that could be used without internet. The app will have many options including the one of lodging complaints.
He said the pilgrims will be provided with many free-of-cost things including a SIM with seven GB data, a suitcase having QR code, Ihram belts for men, Abaya for women and shoes bags.
Aneeq Ahmed said that the Hajj applications will be received from the 27th of this month and this process will continue till 12th of next month. An advertisement in this regard will soon be published, he added.
The minister said that apart from Islamabad airport, Karachi has also been included in Road to Makkah project. He said we have also requested Saudi Arabia to also include Lahore in it.