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Hajj: 25% quota for pilgrims paying in dollars


ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has decided to allocate a 25 percent special quota in the Government Hajj Scheme for the pilgrims who will deposit dues in dollars.

According to official sources, the ministry also decided that such intending pilgrims would be exempted from the balloting under the new Hajj policy.

They said about 22,400 pilgrims would benefit from the ‘Sponsorship Scheme’ being introduced by the ministry in the wake of the current foreign exchange reserves in the country.

The Hajj expenses could also be submitted through foreign remittances in dollars.

The sources said the Ministry of Religious Affairs has increased the Hajj quota for private operators from 40 percent to 50 percent, which might be further raised in the wake of persistent foreign exchange liquidity crunch.

They said the ministry would charge Rs 1.1 million from each pilgrim under the government scheme.

The sources said the Saudi Government was increasing the tax rate on Hajj by 18 to 20 percent.

Radio Pakistan

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M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.