Minister for Religious Affairs, Talha Mahmood, has declared that starting next year, all expenses related to Hajj will be collected in US dollars, as reported by The News on Monday. Speaking at a post-Hajj press conference, Mahmood congratulated the 160,000 Pakistani pilgrims on successfully performing Hajj. He commended the efforts of Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman and highlighted that no untoward incidents were reported during the Hajj rituals at Jamarat, the site for stoning of the devil. The minister noted the overall satisfaction of the pilgrims with the arrangements.
During the press conference, Mahmood announced that the Hajj quota for Pakistan for the next year has been increased to over 179,000. He clarified that the expenses for Hajj will now be collected in US dollars instead of Pakistani rupees. He praised the excellent arrangements made by the Saudi government and personally visited hotels where Pakistani pilgrims were staying. The Pakistani mission provided maximum assistance to the pilgrims during Hajj, he added.
Senator Mehmood further mentioned that he declined the offer to perform Hajj as a guest of the state and preferred to experience it as a “common man.” He discussed the challenges faced by Hajj pilgrims with the Saudi minister, who assured him of addressing those issues in the future. Mahmood emphasized that he did not allow anyone to perform Hajj free of cost and will continue to maintain this policy. As a minister, he paid for his own Hajj expenses, stayed with other Pakistani pilgrims, and performed Hajj.
In response to a question, Mahmood stated that he was not aware of the number of people who performed Hajj with President Arif Alvi as the president’s Hajj arrangements were not under his ministry’s jurisdiction.
