Govt to cut down Haj fares: secretary

[Naveed Yaseen]

The government is set to sign agreements with three foreign air companies to reduce the Haj fares by Rs4000, said Federal Secretary for Religious Affairs Agha Sarwar Raza Qazalbash.

Because of excessive flights every year, the PIA had to pay $40 royalty per pilgrim to Saudi Airlines and intending pilgrims were bound to use PIA for Haj and had to pay high fares, he said in an interview.

To cut down the Haj fares and to overcome the other burden on Hujjaj, the government will reach agreements with PIA, Saudi Airlines and other thre foreign air companies. He said during the current year, the Supreme Court itself had examined the Haj policy and has given new policy to the government.

He said, “This year the government has stricken the monitoring system of Hujjaj and private tour operators and if the private tour operators violated their Haj package rules, they will be blacklisted, while on the other government has completed its task regarding hiring the buildings for the accommodation of Hujjaj in Saudi Arabia.” Almost 28,000 Pakistanis will go to Medina through direct flights and will return from Jeddah, he said. The PIA will provide 10 litres of Ab-e-Zam Zam on airports to every haji on his return to Pakistan.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=196266