Hajj may cost Rs 700k to Rs1m this year: Minister.

ISLAMABAD -- Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Minister Mufti Abdul Shakoor on Friday, giving a tentative figure, informed that Hajj may cost Rs 700,000 to Rs 1 million this year.

Addressing a press conference here in the ministry, he said due to increase in the cost of services and taxes by the Saudi government, an increment would be expected in the Hajj expenses.

Mufti said the Saudi Hajj ministry as per normal routine used to provide Hajj guidelines and expenditures in advance but due to COVID-19, the details of hajj expenses were being awaited. In this context, the ministry's directorate general in Jeddah was in constantly contact with his Saudi counterpart to settle down the issues of mutual interests as soon as possible, he added.

He said the Saudi Hajj ministry had given the deadline of May 16, to complete all the codal formalities for smooth sailing of Hajj 2022.

Keeping in view the time constraints and official hiccups, the ministry had decided to ask the aspirant pilgrims to submit their applications in designated branches of the schedule banks with token money of...