LAHORE, June 8: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Zakat and Ushr Ijazul Haq said on Friday 160,000 people would perform Haj this year.

“The government is committed to providing best facilities to pilgrims and for this purpose two hospitals set up by government at Makkah and Medina provided free of cost treatment to 300,000 pilgrims in the last Haj,” he said while inaugurating a private travel agency.

He said the performance of private Haj operators was being monitored and the next quota would be granted to them after viewing their performance.

He said the next Haj policy would be announced by the end of June while applications for next hajj would be sought in mid of July.

He said that journalists should observe sanctity of parliament.

He said the government wanted to resolve the Lal Masjid issue amicably as 4,000 women are housed in the mosque. He criticised the opposition for politicising the presidential reference against the chief justice of Pakistan.—APP