ISLAMABAD, Apr 19 (APP):Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood on Wednesday appealed the Saudi government to waive all the taxes being collected from Pakistani pilgrims in the wake of mandatory Hajj expenses.
Addressing a press conference here, he said Pakistan was in severe financial crisis these days and the following initiative would give a positive message to the world that Pak-Saudi relations were beyond the diplomatic ties.
Minister Talha said due to financial constraints, Pakistan was facing shortage of foreign exchange that was why; he was holding an inclusive meeting with the finance ministry to reach a logical conclusion as early as possible.
Appreciating the unwavering cooperation of Saudi government, he shared a few key points of his meeting with Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki the other day.
He informed that almost 40,000 intending pilgrims would avail the facility of ‘Road to Makkah’ project from the Islamabad International Airport (IIA). Under this facility, their immigration process would completed at the following airport, he added.
He said due to shortage of time, we could not expand the radius of this facility at other airports of the country, adding that although, the efforts were being made to increase the number of intending pilgrims to avail this opportunity to its fullest from the IIA.
He expressed the hope that he would ensure to provide ‘Road to Makkah’ initiative at other airports of the country by the next year.
He said he held a telephonic conversation with the officials of State Bank to release the funds on immediate basis as it did not furnish the funds on the appointed date which was causing inconvenience for the ministry’s administration in Saudi Arabia to materialize many a thing including pilgrims’ residence, food and transport etc.
Regarding the selection of Moavineen-e-Hujjaj, he categorically stated that they would be appointed as per direction given by the federal cabinet.
He went to say that experienced and trained people would be selected as Moavineen-e-Hujjaj after a proper scrutiny as they would have to provide services to the pilgrims. If inexperienced and untrained people were inducted for the services of pilgrims, they could cause problems in the smooth sailing of Hajj operation, he maintained.
He said he personally was monitoring the entire process and observed that there was a big vacuum which should be filled on immediate basis.
He informed that he was proceeding to Saudi Arabia this night in a bid to bridge the gap and to create ease and comfort for the intending pilgrims.
He said during the briefing from ministry’s officials, he came to know that a high-level Saudi delegation was coming to Pakistan on May 16, adding that he would make all out efforts to get maximum facilities from them.
Despite a lot of pressure particularly at the front of foreign exchange, the ministry was launching Hajj operation by May end, he added.
He also sought out media’s support in case of providing right information to the people and asked to pin point the weaknesses in the system so that they could be removed for the be convenience and betterment of the intending pilgrims.
He said four airlines services had been hired for the transportation of pilgrims by the ministry including Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Airblue, Serene Air and Saudia Airline.
He said it was observed that pilgrims had to face a couple of issues with national flag carrier which should be sought out by the quarters concerned amicably because those issues had nothing to do with the religious affairs ministry.
He said in the briefing he was intimated that Serene Air and Saudia Airline had provided an out-class service to the pilgrims however, there was still a room of improvement in the services of Airblue and PIA.
Responding to a question, he said he would leave no stone unturned to arrange the foreign exchange for the leftover 7,000 Hajj quota, adding that he would go an extra mile to reduce the Hajj expenses despite the financial crunch in the country and inflation in the international market.
To another query, he replied that he began to smell a rat about the fulfilment of the private Hajj operators’ target due to unwanted conditions imposed by the finance ministry.
He proposed that the finance ministry should give private Hajj operators a free-hand in case of generating foreign exchange for the intending pilgrims who wanted to perform this sacred religious obligation with them.
He said he would discuss these issues in a meeting with Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar who was already under pressure due to economic meltdown in the country expressing the hope that the finance minister would remove these hurdles hampering in the way to smooth sailing of Hajj operation.
