Islamabad
Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony is most likely to invite hajj applications for securing berth in government scheme from February 15, says official source requesting anonymity. He said a total of 179,210 Pakistanis would perform Hajj this year. Of which 60 percent would perform the sacred religious ceremony under government scheme and rest under the private scheme.
The suggested package of government hajj scheme in case of starting hajj sojourn from Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar will be Rs 550,000 and Rs 542,000 in case of leaving for hajj from Karachi, Quetta and Sukkur. The successful applicants will be determined by conducting a transparent balloting.
In case of getting additional quota from Saudi Arabia, the same will be distributed between government and private scheme with the ratio of 60:40 percent respectively.
Hajj operation will be conducted by Saudi Airline, Pakistan International Airlines, Airblue and Saudi Gulf. The hajj flights will leave from Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Multan, Faisalabad and Sialkot.
The hajj flights of the first 15 days will directly land in Madina Munawwara. The same flights will return home from Jeddah in post hajj operation. The private hajj operation would be conducted by enrolled Hajj Group Organisers (HGOs) by the ministry. Direct hajj flights would also leave from Quetta. As many as 50 percent government scheme pilgrims will utilize the facility of mono train and rest the Moalam transport.—APP
