The Ministry of Religious Affairs on Thursday has informed Senate panel that the cost of Hajj may increase this year by over one hundred thousand rupees.
The reason cited for the increase in the package is a hike in the US dollar’s exchange rate and rising airfares.
Ministry of Religious Affairs Secretary Mushtaq Bhorana, said, “The Ministry of Religious Affairs has recommended an increase in the cost of Hajj package by Rs115,000. After, this hike the total cost of government Hajj package would become around Rs550,000”.
Notably, people of very different classes go to perform Hajj. But seeing the way the cost to perform the Islamic ritual increases every year, it has become difficult for many to perform it. Especially for the poor and the middle class. An estimated number of 200,000 people are expected to perform Hajj in 2020, but as there are chances of the package cost to increase, the number might lessen.
