ISLAMABAD: Four hundred and seventy-six Hajj assistants or “Moavineen” have arrived in Saudi Arabia to assist pilgrims in the cities of Makkah and Madinah weeks before the annual Islamic pilgrimage begins, a Pakistan Hajj Mission official confirmed on Wednesday.
Pakistan selects hundreds of doctors and assistants each year to facilitate local pilgrims in Saudi Arabia during Hajj. These assistants provide Pakistani pilgrims with guidance regarding the pilgrimage, the holy sites in Makkah and Madinah as well as logistical support and medical aid if necessary.
Pakistan chose 550 individuals this year as volunteers to assist pilgrims during Hajj. In a first, candidates had to pass the National Testing Service (NTS) exam to qualify for the service.
“Five hundred and fifty support staff have been selected this year through the third-party NTS after conducting written and physical tests,” Pakistan’s director-general of Hajj, Abdul Wahab Soomro, told Arab News.
“Total 476 support staff have reached Saudi Arabia till date and out of these, 457 are performing duties in Makkah and the remaining 19 are presently posted in Madinah,” he added.
Soomro said 297 individuals have been assigned building management duties while 101 are responsible for transportation.
“Forty-five have been assigned food responsibilities, seven are in the mission’s control office, four are in the inspection cell, two are in the departure cell and one is in the lost and found cell in Makkah,” he said.
Soomro said the assistants’ deployment would be changed as per the requirements.
More than 41,000 Pakistani pilgrims have arrived in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah since May 9, Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has confirmed.
The month-long pre-flight Hajj operation is expected to last till June 9.
Around 179,210 Pakistanis will perform Hajj under both the government and private schemes, with this year’s pilgrimage expected to run from June 14-19.
476 Pakistani Hajj assistants arrive in Saudi Arabia to facilitate pilgrims
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476 Pakistani Hajj assistants arrive in Saudi Arabia to facilitate pilgrims
- This year Pakistan chose 550 individuals to assist local pilgrims during Hajj pilgrimage
- Four hundred and fifty-seven assistants are in Makkah, 19 in Madinah, says official
Pakistan economic body approves immediate release of $67.9 million for Ramadan package
- Overall size of Prime Minister’s Ramadan Relief Package is $139 million, says Finance Division
- Says remaining funds will be released as per evolving requirements, available fiscal space
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Thursday approved the immediate release of Rs19 billion [$67.9 million] for the Prime Minister’s Ramadan Relief Package, the Finance Division said, with the rest of the funds to be released keeping in mind available fiscal space.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last week launched a Rs39 billion ($139 million) Ramadan relief package, pledging direct digital cash transfers of Rs13,000 ($47) each to 12.1 million low-income families across Pakistan.
Pakistan’s government launches Ramadan relief packages every year before the holy month begins to lessen the burden of inflation on low-income families.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired the CEC meeting on Thursday, in which participants considered a summary from the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation seeking the approval of Rs25 billion [$89.3 million]
“The Finance Division informed the Committee that Rs19 billion had already been budgeted for the Ramzan package for the current financial year and that the remaining requirement would be released as and when necessary,” the statement said.
“The ECC accordingly approved the immediate release of Rs19 billion to enable prompt commencement of disbursement, while agreeing that any additional funds would be considered in line with evolving requirements and available fiscal space,” it added.
The Finance Division noted that the overall size of the package is Rs39 billion [$139 million] out of which Rs10 billion [$35.7 million] are already available with the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), Pakistan’s largest social safety net that provides unconditional cash transfers to the poor.
The Finance Division said Rs29 billion have been arranged through three components considered by the ECC today, including the Technical Supplementary Grant, operational expenditures and the regularization of re-appropriated funds.
“This financing structure ensures that the package is fully resourced while maintaining fiscal discipline and transparency in implementation,” it added.
The ECC reaffirmed the government’s commitment to extending “timely and dignified” support to deserving segments of society during Ramadan, while upholding fiscal responsibility and robust oversight in the implementation of relief measures.
“It emphasized the need to balance expeditious disbursement of relief with fiscal prudence and transparency in operational expenditures,” it added.
The government will distribute the relief package through bank accounts and regulated mobile wallet platforms, fully replacing the previous utility store-based subsidy model with a digital payment mechanism overseen by the State Bank of Pakistan.
The allocation marks a sharp increase from last year’s Rs 20 billion ($72 million) Ramadan program, as the government expands coverage and deepens its shift toward cash-based targeted subsidies.
