ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP): Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Senator Muhammad Talha Mehmood on Thursday said Hajj through ferry service and by road was under the government’s consideration in order to provide maximum relief to the Pakistani pilgrims.
He said it was first time that the Religious Ministry had returned an amount of Rs 4.5 billion to the Hajj pilgrims this year and was in the process to return over Rs 2 billion more.
The minister was addressing the convention of All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation (APNEC).
The participants of the convention viewed that the Hajj 2023 was a transparent and scandal-free Hajj in the country’s history.
The minister assured that the services in the next Hajj programme would be better and efforts would be made to minimize the expenses..
“I performed Hajj as a common man and keenly observed the problems faced by the pilgrims, and I will try to resolve the same with the blessings of the Almighty,” he added.
Journalists and media workers should also be included in the Hajj quota system like other organizations, he said, assuring that he would take tangible actions in that regard.
“Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman truly loves Pakistan. I found him very emotional about Pakistan,” the minister added.
He congratulated the newly elected APNEC Chairman Muhammad Siddique Sanghar, Secretary General Dara Zafar and all other members.
President of Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors Khushnood Ali Khan, on the occasion, said the minister had set a remarkable example by performing Hajj as a common man without any protocol.
