Good news for Pakistani pilgrims

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Religious Affairs Chaudhary Salik Hussain informed the National Assembly on Thursday that every pilgrim will likely get back Rs 100,000 as recounting is going on in the ministry, ARY News reported.

Replying to various supplementary questions during the Question Hour, the minister said Hajj’s expenditure for the current year was already Rs 100,000 less than last year. A relief of around Rs 35,000 was also given to every pilgrim in airfare during the current hajj, he added.

The minister clarified that instead of 1400 Moavineen-e-Hujjaj, only 600 Moavineen were selected through NTS test for the Hajj 2024.

He said the flow of Sikh pilgrims to Kartarpur Corridor has reduced due to the restrictions imposed by India. He said there was no impediment from Pakistan’s side. Infrastructure for receiving daily 5,000 Sikh pilgrims has already been in placed at Kartarpur Corridor, he added.

He said that the ministry made an elaborate arrangement ranging from transportation to security every year to facilitate the Sikh Yatrees on occasion of Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary.

Hajj is a sacred pilgrimage and is one of the fifth pillars of Islam. Each year, millions of Muslims worldwide travel to and perform Hajj in Makkah, modern-day Saudi Arabia.