ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday directed the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony to further improve the arrangements for Hajj 2017 by taking initiatives for ensuring better facilities at the minimum possible cost.
In a meeting held in Islamabad on Thursday, the Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf gave a detail briefing to the prime minister regarding arrangements for Hajj 2017 by Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.
The minister said that in line with the vision of the prime minister, there is remarkable improvement in arrangements of Hajj during the last three years.
“The applications for Government Hajj Scheme increased from 86,919 in 2013 to 280,617 in 2016’, said the Minister,” he said.
Sardar Yousaf said that more than 300% increase in applications in three years is a testament of public confidence and trust in Government and its handling of hajis.
The prime minister was told that the annual Hajj agreement for the year 2017 has been signed with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the reduction in Hajj quota in 2013 due to expansion of Haram Sharif has been restored from 143,368 to 179,210.
The minister told that the process of hiring of accommodation, transport, catering and other allied facilities has been initiated.
Yousaf told that the Saudi Hajj Ministry has also been requested to enhance the country’s quota by at least 15,000 on the basis of current population of Pakistan.
While appreciating the ministry and its team lead by the minister for their commendable work and efforts to facilitate hajis, the prime minister observed that there is always a room for further improvement and that the ministry should strive to make Hajj arrangements more comfortable, better and cost-effective.
“The visible improvement in facilities provided to Hujjaj in past three years has been acknowledged by all segments of society,” the prime minister said.
The Prime Minister directed that special attention must be given to making arrangements at the airports, provision of three daily meals in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalfa, and general facilitation for Hujjaj in lodging and travelling.
Nawaz Sharif said that the federal government will provide all the possible support to the Ministry for facilitating the guests of Allah in performing Hajj comfortably and securely.
“The Ministry of Religious Affairs must discharge its responsibilities with full devotion not only as an official duty but also a religious obligation of the highest order,” the prime minister emphasized.
During the meeting, it was approved that applicants who have performed Hajj during the last seven (07) years will not be eligible to apply for Hajj 2017 under the Government Scheme while Hajj-e-Badal will be allowed only through Private Hajj scheme.
The meeting was also attended by Secretary to the Prime Minister (SPM) Fawad Hasan Fawad, Secretary Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Khalid Masood Chaudhary and other senior officials.
