ISLAMABAD
\nFederal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, alongside Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki arrived at Islamabad International Airport early Tuesday morning to review the immigration process for Pakistani pilgrims departing under the \u2018Road to Makkah\u2019 project.
\nMinister Yousaf was briefed on the streamlined immigration procedures carried out at the airport, as part of the Saudi initiative to facilitate pilgrims by completing immigration formalities within their home countries.
\nAddressing the departing pilgrims, the minister called it a moment of pride and honor to be present at their departure for the sacred journey. \u201cToday, by the grace of Almighty Allah, we are bidding farewell to His guests as they set off to the holy land to perform Hajj,\u201d he said.
\nHe emphasized the importance of representing Pakistan with dignity, urging pilgrims to respect Saudi laws and cultural norms. \u201cYou are not just guests of Allah but also ambassadors of Pakistan in the Kingdom,\u201d he stated.
\nHighlighting his personal commitment to the Hajj operation, the minister announced that he would soon travel to Saudi Arabia to personally inspect arrangements and address any issues faced by Pakistani pilgrims. \u201cI will remain among our pilgrims, ensuring they receive all necessary facilities. Every effort will be made to resolve their problems,\u201d he affirmed.
\nRejecting special privileges offered by the Saudi authorities, Sardar Yousaf said he declined VIP Hajj arrangements to stay closer to the people. \u201cDespite limited resources, we have strived to provide maximum facilities to the pilgrims this year,\u201d he noted.
\nThe minister also shared that this year\u2019s Hajj arrangements are significantly improved compared to previous years and assured that the difference will be evident to the pilgrims. \u201cI will personally supervise the Hajj operations and direct relevant officials to promptly address any complaints,\u201d he said.
\nTo aid pilgrims during their journey, especially in Mina, each pilgrim is being provided with a SIM card loaded with a mobile application designed to help them navigate and seek assistance if lost.
\nHe urged pilgrims to pray for the safety and security of Pakistan while in the holy land. \u201cYour prayers can open many doors. Alongside your personal supplications, remember to pray for peace, prosperity, and unity in Pakistan and the wider Muslim world,\u201d he said.
\nAccording to Minister Yousaf, over 50,000 Pakistani pilgrims from Islamabad and Karachi will benefit from the \u2018Road to Makkah\u2019 project this year. The initiative allows pre-departure immigration processing in Pakistan, reducing waiting times upon arrival in Saudi Arabia.
\nHe expressed hope that the facility would be expanded to other cities across Pakistan in the coming years. The minister concluded by expressing gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their continued support and excellent arrangements for Hajj pilgrims.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, alongside Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki arrived at Islamabad International Airport early Tuesday morning to review the immigration process for Pakistani pilgrims departing under the \u2018Road to Makkah\u2019 project. Minister Yousaf was briefed on the streamlined immigration procedures carried out at the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":80345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-80330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80330"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80330\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80346,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80330\/revisions\/80346"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}