Government should receive no tax from the Pilgrims 56% Rise in Hajj expenditure is not acceptable E-Visa and road to Mecca policies are commendable. Standing Committee

Islamabad (             ) Government should receive no tax from Pilgrims and the huge rise like 56% in the Hajj expenditure is not acceptable. However, E-Visa and road to Mecca policies are commendable. These observations were made during the meeting of the Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony. The meeting of the Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony was held in Parliament House, Islamabad. The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony informed that the cost of Hajj 2019 is Rs 436975/- for Northern Airports and Rs. 426975/- for Southern Airports, whereas, it was Rs. 280,000/- and 270,000/- for Hajj 2018, respectively. The Ministry informed that the rise in the Hajj cost is due to elimination of the subsidy, which was Rs. 42624/-. The Ministry informed that Government did not like to spend the tax money of 220 million Pakistani people on 0.107millionPilgrims, without the will of the general public. The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony explained that some of the increase was beyond their control. For example, devaluation of Rupee and imposition of Value Added Tax (VAT) by Saudi Government has increased the nominal cost of Hajj, which was beyond their control. The Ministry informed that in terms of Riyal, the travel cost of the Hajj has been decreased. The Committee observed that subsidy was only 10% of the total Hajj expenditures, whereas, the Hajj expenditure has been increased by 56%. Similarly, the Airfare has been increased by 16% for Northern Airports and 17% for Southern Airports and the cost of Hajj, other thanairfare, has increased by about 74%. In this regard if 10 percentage points subsidy is excluded, even than the rise in this expenditure is 64%. The Committee appreciated the Hajj arrangements of the previous years and directed that, at least, previous arrangements should continue. The Committee observed that the matter of subsidy was referred to the Council of Islamic Ideology who decided that as per Islamic teachings the subsidy was permissible. But the government did not allow the subsidy. The Committee directed that the Government should restore the subsidy or receive no tax from the Pilgrims.
 
The meeting was presided over by the Chairman Standing Committee of National Assembly on Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony Mr. AsadMehmood and attended byMembers National Assembly;SahibzadaSibghatullah, Mr. Muhammad Bashir Khan, Prince Muhammad Nawaz Allai, Mr. Mujahid Ali, Mr. Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Raja Riaz Ahmad, Mr. AftabJehangir, Mr. Jamshed Thomas, Ms. Shunila Ruth, ChoudharyFaqir Ahmed, Begum TahiraBokhari, Mr. Keeso Mal Kheeal Das, MaharIrshad Ahmad Khan, Ms. ShahidaAkhtar Ali and Mr. Noor-ul-HaqQadri, Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony. Secretary, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony, Senior Joint Secretary, D.G.(Hajj), Mecca and many other senior officers attended the meeting.