The Pakistan government's decision to abolish the Haj subsidy will save Rs 450 crore to national exchequer, the country's Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Minister Noorul Haq Qadri has said.

The decision to abolish the Haj subsidy was taken during a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad recently, sparking a debate whether Islam allows a subsidised Haj or not.

"The previous (PML-N) government was paying Rs 42,000 subsidy on each pilgrim which put an additional burden of Rs 450 crore on national exchequer. Keeping the current financial situation of the country, the Federal Cabinet has decided to withdraw this subsidy," Qadri was quoted as saying by The News on Tuesday.

This year 184,000 Pakistanis will perform Haj out of which 107,000 will go on government quota whereas the remaining will perform the pilgrimage on private quota, the minister said.

"The government has withdrawn Rs 450 crore financial assistance which it was paying as subsidy for the pilgrims. Major chunk of Haj's inflated price is due to rupee devaluation and Value Added Tax (VAT) imposed by the Saudi government," he said.

"Pakistan's Haj expenditure are still the lowest in the region if you count it in US dollar as India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia are charging more in term of US dollars. My ministry had proposed that the subsidy should not be abolished but the Federal Cabinet decided against it," the minister said.

Last week, the federal government increased Haj prices up to 60 per cent putting an additional burden of up to Rs 156,000 on each pilgrim.

The political leaders of opposition parties have criticised Prime Minister Khan's government for abolishing subsidy and increasing Haj price.

The Haj pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam and is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their lifetime if they are healthy enough and have the means to do so.

The Pakistan government's decision to abolish the Haj subsidy will save Rs 450 crore to national exchequer, the country's Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Minister Noorul Haq Qadri has said.

The Pakistan government's decision to abolish the Haj subsidy will save Rs 450 crore to national exchequer, the country's Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Minister Noorul Haq Qadri has said. The decision to abolish the Haj subsidy was taken during a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad recently, sparking a debate whether Islam allows a subsidised Haj or not. "The previous (PML-N) government was paying Rs 42,000 subsidy on each pilgrim which put an additional burden of Rs 450 crore on national exchequer. Keeping the current financial situation of the country, the Federal Cabinet has decided to withdraw this subsidy," Qadri was quoted as saying by The News on Tuesday. This year 184,000 Pakistanis will perform Haj out of which 107,000 will go on government quota whereas the remaining will perform the pilgrimage on private quota, the minister said. "The government has withdrawn Rs 450 crore financial assistance which it was paying as subsidy for the pilgrims. Major chunk of Haj's inflated price is due to rupee devaluation and Value Added Tax (VAT) imposed by the Saudi government," he said. "Pakistan's Haj expenditure are still the lowest in the region if you count it in US dollar as India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia are charging more in term of US dollars. My ministry had proposed that the subsidy should not be abolished but the Federal Cabinet decided against it," the minister said. Last week, the federal government increased Haj prices up to 60 per cent putting an additional burden of up to Rs 156,000 on each pilgrim. The political leaders of opposition parties have criticised Prime Minister Khan's government for abolishing subsidy and increasing Haj price. The Haj pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam and is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their lifetime if they are healthy enough and have the means to do so.

Pakistan government to save Rs 450 crore by abolishing Haj subsidy to pilgrims: Minister

After stopping subsidised Haj pilgrimages, the BJP announced that it would be offering Christians free trips to Jerusalem if elected to power in Nagaland, according to reports.

However, it&#39;s unclear if the BJP is offering this to all of India&#39;s Christians, or only to Christians in the northeast, or only to Christians in Nagaland.

The BJP&#39;s offer comes in the run-up to elections in three northeastern states - Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura - later this month.&nbsp;

According to reports, in Meghalaya, almost 75 percent of the population is Christian. In Nagaland, 88 percent of the population is Christian.

News outlet WeTheNagas tweeted &#39;&#39;The BJP has made an election promise to send Christians to Jerusalem on a free trip if elected to power in Nagaland&#39;&#39;.&nbsp;

News agency UNI reported that the free Jerusalem trip has only been offered to Christians in Nagaland.

&quot;BJP promises to send Christians on a free trip. I was right, BJP continues with the subsidy if it suits its electoral needs. This is (what BJP means by) &#39;India first&#39; &quot;, tweeted AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi.

It's unclear if the BJP is offering this to all of India's Christians, or only to Christians in the northeast, or only to Christians in Nagaland.

After stopping subsidised Haj pilgrimages, the BJP announced that it would be offering Christians free trips to Jerusalem if elected to power in Nagaland, according to reports. However, it's unclear if the BJP is offering this to all of India's Christians, or only to Christians in the northeast, or only to Christians in Nagaland. The BJP's offer comes in the run-up to elections in three northeastern states - Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura - later this month. According to reports, in Meghalaya, almost 75 percent of the population is Christian. In Nagaland, 88 percent of the population is Christian. News outlet WeTheNagas tweeted ''The BJP has made an election promise to send Christians to Jerusalem on a free trip if elected to power in Nagaland''. News agency UNI reported that the free Jerusalem trip has only been offered to Christians in Nagaland. "BJP promises to send Christians on a free trip. I was right, BJP continues with the subsidy if it suits its electoral needs. This is (what BJP means by) 'India first' ", tweeted AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi.

After Haj subsidy revocation, BJP offers Christians free trip to Jerusalem: Reports

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/justice-loyas-death-post-mortem-report-indicates-no-foul-play-in-judges-death-say-sources-29722">Justice Loya&#39;s death: Post-mortem report indicates no foul play in judge&#39;s death, say sources</a>

The report into Justice BH Loya&#39;s death says there was no foul play in the judge&#39;s death, sources in the Maharashtra home ministry have told the Zee Group.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/centre-ends-haj-subsidy-naqvi-says-decision-part-of-plan-to-empower-minorities-29708">Centre ends Haj subsidy, Naqvi says decision part of plan to &#39;empower&#39; minorities</a>

There will be no subsidy for Haj from this year, minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said today.

Naqvi told reporters that despite the subsidy withdrawal, a record number of 1.75 lakh Muslims will undertake the pilgrimage this year from India.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/haryana-becomes-fourth-state-to-ban-padmavat-29698">Haryana becomes&nbsp;</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/haryana-becomes-fourth-state-to-ban-padmavat-29698">fourth</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/haryana-becomes-fourth-state-to-ban-padmavat-29698"> state to ban &#39;Padmavat&#39;</a>

Haryana on Tuesday became the fourth state to announce a ban on the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed &quot;Padmavat&quot;. &nbsp;

Haryana minister Anil Vij confirmed the decision after a meeting with the cabinet.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-nine-years-baby-moshe-returns-to-mumbais-chabad-house-29709">After nine years, &#39;Baby&#39; Moshe returns to Mumbai&#39;s Chabad House</a>

Baby Moshe returned to Mumbai&#39;s Chabad House Tuesday nine years after the 26/11 attacks.&nbsp;

Moshe Holtzberg&#39;s -- he is now 11 -- were killed at Chabad House in the attacks.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/myanmar-bangladesh-reach-two-year-deal-to-repatriate-rohingya-refugees-29682">Myanmar, Bangladesh reach two-year deal to repatriate Rohingya refugees</a>

Myanmar and Bangladesh have reached a deal to repatriate Rohingya displaced by an army crackdown &quot;within two years&quot;, Dhaka said Tuesday.

Justice Loya's death: Post-mortem report indicates no foul play in judge's death, say sources The report into Justice BH Loya's death says there was no foul play in the judge's death, sources in the Maharashtra home ministry have told the Zee Group. Centre ends Haj subsidy, Naqvi says decision part of plan to 'empower' minorities There will be no subsidy for Haj from this year, minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said today. Naqvi told reporters that despite the subsidy withdrawal, a record number of 1.75 lakh Muslims will undertake the pilgrimage this year from India. Haryana becomes fourth state to ban 'Padmavat' Haryana on Tuesday became the fourth state to announce a ban on the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed "Padmavat". Haryana minister Anil Vij confirmed the decision after a meeting with the cabinet. After nine years, 'Baby' Moshe returns to Mumbai's Chabad House Baby Moshe returned to Mumbai's Chabad House Tuesday nine years after the 26/11 attacks. Moshe Holtzberg's -- he is now 11 -- were killed at Chabad House in the attacks. Myanmar, Bangladesh reach two-year deal to repatriate Rohingya refugees Myanmar and Bangladesh have reached a deal to repatriate Rohingya displaced by an army crackdown "within two years", Dhaka said Tuesday.

WION Evening News Brief, 16 January 2018

The Centre will abolish the subsidy for Haj pilgrims in accordance with a Supreme Court order, Union minister&nbsp;Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi&nbsp;said on Saturday.

The abolition of the subsidy is in&nbsp;the already proposed Haj policy drafted by a government committee.

Earlier this year, the&nbsp;Ministry of Minority Affairs had&nbsp;constituted the&nbsp;committee to review the existing Haj policy and suggest a framework for a new Haj policy for 2018-22. The committee presented its draft to Naqvi on Saturday.

Speaking to PTI on the issue, he said, &quot;A constitutional bench of the Supreme Court had, during the Congress regime in 2012, directed that the Haj subsidy be done away with. Hence, in the new policy, as per the recommendations of a committee, we have decided to do away with the Haj subsidy gradually.&quot;

The minority affairs minister also suggested&nbsp;that the &quot;money spent on the Haj subsidy be used for the educational empowerment of the Muslim community&quot;.

The committee suggested that women above 45 years be allowed to perform Haj without a Mehram (a male relative by blood) in a group of four or more.

It&nbsp;recommended that coupons for Adahi (sacrifice of animals) be made compulsory for all the pilgrims and the quota of Mehram be increased from the present 200 to 500. &quot;Special quota for the state Jammu and Kashmir must also increase from 1500 to 2000&quot; is also a part of the draft.&nbsp;

The committee also suggested that the number of embarkation points (EPs) be reduced from 21 to nine and those should be at Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kochi. It also said&nbsp;that suitable Haj houses be built at these EPs.&nbsp;

For the tour operators, the committee suggested that the quota be distributed in a 70:30 ratio between the Haj Committee and private tour operators (PTOs). The PTOs should collect the full package cost from the pilgrims only through their bank accounts and render the details to the ministry before the departure of the pilgrims.

The panel also recommended an amendment in the Haj Committee Act to extend Umra and Ziyarat to Syria, Iran Iraq and Jordan.

Naqvi is currently on a two-day visit to Mumbai.&nbsp;

He says that it would be in accordance to a Supreme Court order

The Centre will abolish the subsidy for Haj pilgrims in accordance with a Supreme Court order, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Saturday. The abolition of the subsidy is in the already proposed Haj policy drafted by a government committee. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Minority Affairs had constituted the committee to review the existing Haj policy and suggest a framework for a new Haj policy for 2018-22. The committee presented its draft to Naqvi on Saturday. Speaking to PTI on the issue, he said, "A constitutional bench of the Supreme Court had, during the Congress regime in 2012, directed that the Haj subsidy be done away with. Hence, in the new policy, as per the recommendations of a committee, we have decided to do away with the Haj subsidy gradually." The minority affairs minister also suggested that the "money spent on the Haj subsidy be used for the educational empowerment of the Muslim community". The committee suggested that women above 45 years be allowed to perform Haj without a Mehram (a male relative by blood) in a group of four or more. It recommended that coupons for Adahi (sacrifice of animals) be made compulsory for all the pilgrims and the quota of Mehram be increased from the present 200 to 500. "Special quota for the state Jammu and Kashmir must also increase from 1500 to 2000" is also a part of the draft. The committee also suggested that the number of embarkation points (EPs) be reduced from 21 to nine and those should be at Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kochi. It also said that suitable Haj houses be built at these EPs. For the tour operators, the committee suggested that the quota be distributed in a 70:30 ratio between the Haj Committee and private tour operators (PTOs). The PTOs should collect the full package cost from the pilgrims only through their bank accounts and render the details to the ministry before the departure of the pilgrims. The panel also recommended an amendment in the Haj Committee Act to extend Umra and Ziyarat to Syria, Iran Iraq and Jordan. Naqvi is currently on a two-day visit to Mumbai.

'Haj subsidy to be abolished gradually': Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

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Pakistan government to save Rs 450 crore by abolishing Haj subsidy to pilgrims: Minister

After Haj subsidy revocation, BJP offers Christians free trip to Jerusalem: Reports

WION Evening News Brief, 16 January 2018

'Haj subsidy to be abolished gradually': Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi