Federal Religious Affairs Minister Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq said on Saturday that a permanent Haj policy is in the offing to get rid pilgrims of workshops and seminars held every year before the start of Haj season.
Addressing a meeting of the members of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) here, he said the Religious Affairs Ministry is planning to purchase buildings on permanent basis for the Hujjaj to provide proper facilities to them.
He said the provincial Haj camps would be linked with the central Haj complex, adding he has taken some ideas in this regard from Malaysia and Indonesia.
He assured the Sarhad Chamber members about the provision of Haj quota and duration of stay would be reduced from 35 to 15 days.
Ejaz-ul-Haq said the present government is making serious endeavours to remove misperception about Islam and religious seminaries in the West, and wanted to make them understand that Islam is the best system of living.
"We have to convince the world that religion Islam and its religious institutions provide the best system and code of life to the people", the minister maintained.
He said the issue of misperception of religion Islam has become internationalised and urged the entire Muslim Ummah to ponder over it for its removal.
He also criticised the attitude of Saudi authorities with the Pakistani pilgrims performing Haj and Umra and assured to take up the issue at the government level to rectify it.
The minister said the President and the Prime Minister have been informed about the matter that only Pakistani pilgrims are singled out for insult and humiliation in Saudi Arabia, whereas the pilgrims of other countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh and India received favourable treatment there, saying the Pakistan government cannot tolerate this humiliation any more.