Senate opposition blasts steep hike in expenses in new Hajj Policy

ISLAMABAD: Opposition senators on Friday blasting the new Hajj Policy approved by the federal cabinet on Thursday, termed the hike in Hajj expenses a drone attack on the pilgrims, ARY News reported.

Chairman Senate directed the Minister of Finance to offer subsidy for the pilgrimage, while the government assured to reconsider the policy for decrease in Hajj expenses.

It is to mention here that the government in its new Hajj Policy withdrawn subsidy on the pilgrimage, which increases the expenses by Rs. 1,76,000 for each pilgrim and the overall amount for pilgrimage reached to Rs 4,56,000.

Jamat Islami’s Senator Mushtaq Ahmed in his calling attention notice in the Senate session called the first Hajj Policy of the PTI government as disappointing, adding that the government even turned down a subsidy demand of Rs. 45,000 from the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Muhammad Khan, while giving the government’s explanation on the matter said that the government pays 70% of Hajj expenses in advance to Saudi government, which has enhanced travel, boarding and lodging expenses. The PML-N government had let the Hajj amount of 2017 unchanged in the election year. He called it a misstatement the pilgrims being stopped from offering the pilgrimage.

Chairman Senate directed the finance minister to extend subsidy for the pilgrimage, while the government assured to reconsider the policy for decrease in Hajj expenses.

Earlier, the opposition senators staged walk out from the house to protest against absence of ministers in the session and government’s failure to table the PMDC bill in Senate.

The post Senate opposition blasts steep hike in expenses in new Hajj Policy appeared first on ARYNEWS.

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