LHC moved against Hajj Policy 2019

LAHORE: A petition challenging the government’s Hajj Policy 2019 was filed in Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday.

The petition said that the government has increased the amount of the government Hajj scheme for a person from Rs2,80,000 to Rs4,56,000.

“The government has withdrawn the subsidy offered to the pilgrims and made the pilgrimage 65 per cent expensive,” the petition stated.

The petitioner alleged that the Hajj expenses had been increased to illegally earn profits from the scheme.

It is pertinent to note that the government on January 30 withdrew subsidy on the pilgrimage, increasing the expenses by Rs176,000 for each pilgrim.

Under the new Hajj Policy, more than 184,000 Pakistanis will perform the annual ritual of Hajj this year, with 60 per cent quota of pilgrims reserved for the government-sponsored Hajj scheme and remaining 40 per cent for the pilgrims who will travel through private hajj tour operators.

The cabinet as a major policy step withdrew subsidy in the government-sponsored Hajj scheme.

The cabinet decision with regard to Hajj received scathing criticism in the houses of the parliament as well as in public domain.