The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly has decided to revoke the free Hajj facility for ministers, bureaucrats, Khuddam and VIPS.
PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan, while announcing the welcome development to the media, said that the NA body will end the free Hajj facility for government officers and Khuddam. Once the decision is inked, even the prime minister, ministers and any political figure will not be able to perform Hajj free of cost.
Meanwhile, the PAC sought details of those who had been performing Hajj without spending a penny of their own within 15 days from the concerned ministry and the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR).
According to the PAC, the country is under a heavy debt burden. The poor are paying taxes while the government officers are enjoying free Hajj facilities.
In another welcome statement, the chairman said that the government will recover the amount spent on the Hajj spending of officials and their families and the money will then be deposited in the national exchequer. He termed the free Hajj facility a “burden” on the taxpayers.
