Hajj Policy 2019 challenged in Lahore High Court

LAHORE: A petition has been filed in Lahore High Court (LHC) challenging Pakistan’s Hajj Policy 2019, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The petition said that the government has increased the amount of the government Hajj scheme for a person from previous Rs. 2,80,000 to 4,56,000 rupees in its new policy.

The government has withdrawn the subsidy offered to the pilgrims. The new government policy has made the pilgrimage 65 percent expensive, the petitioner said.

The petitioner claimed that the Hajj expenses have been increased to illegally earn profit from the scheme.

It is pertinent to mention here that the government withdrew subsidy on the pilgrimage, increasing the expenses by Rs 176,000 for each pilgrim whereas the overall pilgrimage amounted to Rs 456,000.

The federal cabinet approved its first Hajj Policy on January 30. Under the new Hajj Policy more than 1, 84000 Pakistanis will perform the annual ritual of Hajj this year, with 60 per cent quota of pilgrims reserved for the government sponsored Hajj scheme and remaining 40 per cent for the pilgrims who will travel through private hajj tour operators.

The cabinet as a major policy step withdrawn subsidy in the government-sponsored Hajj scheme.

The cabinet decision with regard to Hajj got scathing criticism at the houses of the parliament as well as in public domain.