Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sought an explanation from the Religious Affairs Ministry, an aide said Tuesday, over a report claiming that a list of 200 ministry officials has been finalised for Haj this year — dozens of whom staff the office of Religious Affairs Minister Mufti Abdul Shakur.

The report, published in The News International, said that 35 people on the list are from Shakur's office alone, which includes five drivers, four gunmen, a cook and 11 personal secretaries and assistants. The report said the minister himself would also be performing Haj this year.

The report quoted a ministry spokesperson as saying that the staff of the ministry goes every year to help pilgrims during Haj. "Staff like drivers and gunmen are tagged along for help in works such as carrying luggage, etc," the spokesperson said per the report. It also said the trip for 200 individuals would cost "Rs170 million" of the taxpayer's money.

News of this triggered criticism from some journalists and political commentators, as well as a PTI leader, who highlighted the cost of the move when the government is seeking to introduce austerity measures during an economic crisis.

Lawyer and columnist Abdul Moiz Jafrii said he gets the "lack of respect for public money, but I struggle to understand what these people think of God and how they feel this would acceptable to him".

Uzair Younus, director of the Pakistan Initiative at the Atlantic Council, urged the government to "read the room".

PTI's Andaleeb Abbas lamented the Haj was being conducted "awaam ke paison se (with the nation's money)".

Journalist Zebunnisa Burki said: "Oh look. 'Austerity'.

Journalist Yusra Askari asked that as a country "on the verge of an economic meltdown, can we afford this?"

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister's Focal Person on Digital Media, Muhammad Abubakar Umer said that the premier has sought an explanation over this.

"The prime minister of Pakistan has sought an explanation from the Ministry of Religious Affairs. It is a usual practice to send some staff of the Ministry of Religious Affairs to serve the pilgrims, but this report gives a different impression, for which an explanation has been sought," said Umer in a tweet.

The report

According to the The News report, the list includes 16 drivers, more than 20 employees identified as security guards, gunmen and chowkidars and three stenotypists.

The report said the list also included the names of cooks, tubewell workers, pump operators, district educational officers, district cooperatives officers, assistant audit officers and district medical officers.

It added that more than 22 people classified as upper division and lower division clerks, as well as directors, assistant directors, deputy directors and director generals of different departments of the Religious Affairs ministry, were also part of the list. These individuals, the report claimed, were expected to perform Haj as well.

Moreover, the report stated, 35 persons on the list were only from the office of Religious Affairs Minister Mufti Abdul Shakoor.

"Only from the minister's office, a total list of 35 members has been prepared including five drivers, four gunmen, one cook and 11 personal secretaries and assistants. The minister himself will also be performing Haj this year," the report said.

Cost of Haj

Last week, Min­ister Abdul Shakoor had announced that the annual Haj pilgrimage would cost Rs860,000 per pilgrim under the government scheme.

However, the federal cabinet approved a subsidy of Rs150,000 for each person, he had added,explaining that it had reduced the cost of the government’s Haj package per person to Rs650,000 to Rs710,000.

A total of 32,453 people from Pakistan will be performing Haj this year.