ISLAMABAD, June 2: A total of 140,000 people from Pakistan will perform Haj this year as against 130,000 allowed last year under the new Haj policy approved by the federal cabinet on Wednesday.

Announcing the new Haj policy for the next five years at a news conference here on Wednesday, Minister for Religious Affairs Ijazul Haq said that Haj fares had been enhanced up to 20 per cent because of increase in petroleum prices.

The per pilgrim PIA fares had been raised from Rs100,215 to 105,362, showing a 20 per cent increase over the last year. The minister said that under the stipulated quota of one per cent approved on the basis of population, about 140,000 people would perform the next Haj from Pakistan.

If the number of applicants surpassed the quota, then there would be a ballot, he said and added that all special quotas had been abolished. Under the government scheme, all the arrangements, including passports, visa, flights, boarding and logistics would be made by the government, while Haj service agents and Haj group organizers would be responsible for all the arrangements under the private scheme except passport.

The Haj service agents and Haj group organizers were being brought under a regulation to bring them in line with the requirements of the Saudi laws and to check illegal activities of such service providers.

Under the government scheme, applications would be received from June 21 to July 26, while under the private scheme, applications would be accepted from June 21 to July 19.

The minister said that keeping in view the increasing number of applications, children less than 18 years and those who had performed Haj during the last five years had been banned from performing Haj.

However, 'mehram', group leaders and those going for Haj-i-Badal had been exempted, he added. Residential arrangements for Hujjaj had been limited to two categories - Green and Yellow - from earlier four.