Due to inflation in Pakistan, the number of Hajj pilgrims has decreased, the decision to return the quota to Saudi Arabia

Islamabad: Due to inflation, it is happening for the first time in Pakistan that the Hajj quota is available but the pilgrims are less.

The shortage of dollars and inflation have made it difficult for Pakistanis to pay for Hajj.

Sources of religious affairs said that the government has decided to return the unused Hajj quota to Saudi Arabia. The federal cabinet will take the final decision to return the Hajj quota.

According to sources, many Pakistanis could not apply due to the expensive Hajj.

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Sources say that due to the low receipt of applications, it was also considered to give the government Hajj quota to private Hajj operators, but the problem is that the private Hajj operators will take dollars from the market if they get additional quota and the unnecessary demand for dollars will increase when purchasing from the open market.

Sources have said that Pakistan has been demanding that the Hajj quota be increased from 1 lakh 79 thousand 210 to 2 lakh 10 to 20 thousand, after many years Pakistan got the full Haj quota of 1 lakh 79 thousand which could not be fully used.

According to the sources, the quota of 89 thousand 605 Hajj pilgrims was fixed under the official scheme, about 9 thousand applications were received less than the quota for the official Hajj scheme, 72 thousand 869 under the official regular scheme, and the number of applicants under the sponsorship scheme. 8 thousand, under the official regular scheme, 28 thousand 679 additional applications were received against the quota of 44 thousand 190, under the official regular scheme, additional applicants are being sent for Hajj without drawing lots.

Sources in religious affairs have said that a total of $235 million is required for the government scheme, with some dollars being provided by the sponsorship scheme and the rest by the government.