Home »General News » Pakistan » Shahbaz lambastes PTI government for abolishing Hajj subsidy
Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly and President Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Shahbaz Sharif Friday lambasted the PTI government's move to abolish Hajj subsidy and vowed to raise the matter in the National Assembly. In a statement, Sharif said that it appears that the government has made performing Hajj as a source of income instead of an act of sacred worship.

"The government has given the most expensive Hajj of the country's history to the people...The government must understand that Hajj is not a way to earn money, but it is a sacred worshiping activity which needs to be facilitated," he said, adding that the government needs to facilitate intending pilgrims to visit the House of Allah instead of creating difficulties for them.

Further criticising the decision, he said that the government claimed to be aspiring after the "State of Madina" but, instead, it has made it difficult for the people to make their journey to Makkah and Madina.

"The government has made it difficult for a common person to even think of performing Hajj," he said, adding that the opposition would raise the matter in the National Assembly and seek an explanation. He also maintained that the PML-N government during its previous tenure had made 'excellent' arrangements, adding now as the oil prices have also been declined in the international market and the government should have passed on the relief to the intending Hajj pilgrims.

The federal cabinet, chaired by Prime Minster Imran Khan on Thursday, decided to abolish subsidy on performing Hajj, thus increasing the overall expenditure associated with performing the religious obligation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019


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