ISLAMABAD: Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sahibzada Noor-ul-Haq Qadri Tuesday said the government had decided to refund Rs 25,000 to Rs 58,000 to each pilgrim on account of hiring cheap residential buildings and saving transport and other expenditures in Saudi Arabia.

Briefing media about decisions of Federal Cabinet at press press conference with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, he said the cabinet had decided to distribute the additional Hajj quota of 4,316 granted by Saudi Arabia among the Government Scheme pilgrims through a transparent balloting.

He said about 200,000 Pakistanis would perform the sacred religious obligation this year, including 123,316 under the Government Scheme.

Dr Firdous said the government wanted to make the Hajj scandal free, ensuring optimum facilities for the pilgrims.

She said Prime Minister Imran Khan would inaugurate ‘Road to Makkah Project’ and also bid farewell to the intending pilgrims from Islamabad on July 4.  Under the project, immigration of the pilgrims would be conducted at the Islamabad Airport, for which a team of 51 Saudi officials had already been arrived in Pakistan.

He said special immigration counters had already been established at the airport. The step would help save the precious time of pilgrims at the Jeddah Airport where they had to wait for 12 to 14 hours in the past. Their luggage would also directly land at their respective residences.