Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday committed to extend maximum support and cooperation for facilitating the pilgrims for Hajj 2023.

Chairing a meeting on Hajj Policy-2023, he stated that Hajj is a sacred religious obligation that has to be performed by every Muslim and “we have to play our part for the blessings of Almighty Allah.”

According to a press release, the meeting was apprised of the Hajj-2023 policy and the expected number of Pakistanis who had applied for Hajj.

More than 179,000 Pakistanis are expected to perform Hajj this year, it added.

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Mufti Abdul Shakoor informed the finance minister about certain issues related to foreign exchange and sought his support.

He further thanked the finance minister for cooperation and support.

Moreover, Pakistan International Airlines is also expected to commence Hajj operations shortly.

Lately, State Bank of Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves have fallen to a critical level and currently stand at $3.81 billion. This has raised concerns about the availability of foreign currency in the open markets.