June 15, 2002	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

ISLAMABAD June 14: The air fare for the Haj pilgrims for the coming Haj season is expected to remain unchanged, informed sources said.

The sources said that the PIA has declined a request by the ministry of religious affairs for the lowering of 10 per cent in Haj fare as the airline had done in the case of Umra pilgrims.

The reason for the demand the sources said was based on the fact that an international recession had erupted after Sept 11 in air travelling and all the airlines including PIA had under coercion drastically reduced their air fares on international routes.

After this refusal by the PIA, the ministry officials believe, the fare will remain Rs109,000, which the Hajis had paid last year. It may be mentioned that the government had allowed a 15 per cent upward revision to the PIA last year for the Haj pilgrims.

Meanwhile, the ministry has also forwarded a set of proposals for the approval of federal cabinet for the upcoming Haj.

According to these proposals, a committee under the head of Pakistan ambassador in Saudi Arabia has already started hiring multi-storey houses for the intending Hajis. The accommodations for the intending Hajis will be made available in four categories i.e. A-I to pay 2150 SR, A, 1800 SR, B, 1500 S.R. and C, 1100 S.R.

This year the government intends to send around 140,000 Haj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia in accordance with the criteria of one per cent of the total population fixed by the Kingdom for every country. According to the break-up of the categories up to 50,000 will travel under regular scheme, 60,000 will be allowed under sponsorship and 20,000 would go under open Haj scheme.

Last year as many as 47,100 hajis went on Haj under regular scheme, 56,089 under sponsorship and another 13,244 performed Haj under open Haj scheme. However, when calculated together with 15,000 Pakistanis who performed Haj from other countries of their abode the total number of Hajis comes to 1,31,000.

Besides, there will be some 3,000 persons allowed under special quota as the government has proposed for enhancement of 1,000 persons more than the last year.

Under the proposed scheme, the maximum number of days for stay in Saudi Arabia will remain 40 days owing to residential as well as flights problems.

The charges for pilgrims stay in Madina have been proposed to be increased to SR 270 from 200 SRs last year.