ISLAMABAD - The national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), on Saturday announced fares for Hajj-2023. According to a PIA spokesperson, the fare for pilgrims going under private Hajj scheme has been fixed from $870 to $1,180. This fare will be applicable for pilgrims from the southern region of Pakistan which includes Karachi, Quetta, Sukkur, and Hyderabad. The fare rate for pilgrims from the northern region of the country, which includes Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Multan and other cities, will be from $910 to $1,220.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs is expected to announce fares for pilgrims going under the official Hajj quota. The national airline will continue Hajj flight operations from May 21 to August 2, during which more than 38,000 pilgrims are expected to travel. About 44,000 pilgrims will go to Hejaz through Saudi airlines and two private airlines operating from the rest of Pakistan. PIA will use Boeing 777 and Airbus 320 for its Hajj flight operations to Jeddah and Madina.
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Last week, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony had decided to allocate a 25 percent special quota in the government’s Hajj scheme for the pilgrims depositing their dues in US dollars, adding that they would be exempted from the balloting under the new Hajj policy.
The ministry said about 22,400 pilgrims would benefit from the ‘sponsorship scheme’ being introduced in the wake of the prevailing foreign exchange crisis in the country. It has also increased the Hajj quota for private operators from 40 to 50 percent, which might be raised further. The ministry is expected to charge Rs1.1 million from each pilgrim under the government scheme, but expenses might rise to Rs1.3 million in case of further depreciation of the rupee. The Ministry of Finance has indicated that it would not be able to arrange some $2 billion for the Hajj amid the foreign currency shortage. According to the sources, the Saudi government is also increasing the tax rate on Hajj by 18 to 20 percent. According to the sources, nearly 180,000 Pakistanis are expected to perform the religious ritual this year.
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