ISLAMABAD: You saved up, you planned, and you are heading out for the journey of your life: the Hajj. For Muslims the world over, on August 9 this year, the sacred religious pilgrimage will begin.
Practical preparations will differ from pilgrim to pilgrim, with much of the logistical planning taken care of by troupes that plot out Hajj for their patrons. But if you are opting to pack for and execute Hajj largely on your own, these are the things you should consider packing for when you are on the go.
Backpack
Free hands will be important. You will be walking for many miles over just a few days and when traveling from place to place, especially in very crowded areas, it will be a relief not to worry about your shoulder bag, and to carry a lightweight backpack instead. There are countless medium-sized varieties in the market, from book bags to washable nylon varieties to knapsacks. Just be sure you get one with various compartments to keep everything organized and handy when you get from one place to another.
Extra pouches
Efficient packing will be key. Think ahead and keep extra pouches with you to keep from having to stop and rummage into the deep, dark depths of your bag. There are great options available on the Internet, like reusable, sealable silicon bags which are transparent so it’s easy to spot exactly what its contents are. Do keep one clean small pouch for your prayer beads, because those have a tricky habit of getting misplaced in large bags.
Belt-packs for passports
For holding valuables like your passport or crucial visa/Hajj requirements, we recommend a belt pack, which can also be worn across the chest or underneath your Hajj garments. This pack could also include unscented hand sanitiser and sun protection. When not in use, a foldable, no frills bag can be folded up and put back into your main backpack.
Travel-sized everything, including prayer mat
Though you can choose to take your favorite prayer mat from home, Makkah is well equipped to handle your prayer mat needs.
Keep it lightweight, much like your backpack, and go for the smaller variety if you’re comfortable doing so. You will be carrying the mat over long distances and will need it throughout your journey. If you want the traditional size that won’t fit into your bag, here’s a pro-tip: use a yoga mat sling which allows you to roll your mat up and just sling it across your back.
Reusable water container
Temperatures in mid August will sore to oppressive heights in Saudi Arabia and with non-stop activity during Hajj, it is imperative that pilgrims stay hydrated. There are water refilling stations outside of mosques and Zam Zam is readily available at most places. A hands free water bag in your backpack with a straw is probably the most practical idea, and you can get it at any place that sells hiking equipment.
First Aid Kit
Whether you buy one ready-made or you put one together, a first aid kit could be the difference between a comfortable Hajj and a Hajj distracted by bangs, bumps and bruises. When walking great lengths, blisters, cuts, and tripping are common and bandaids, blister bandaids, disinfecting wipes and soothing ointments, cotton pads, cough drops,and rehydration tablets should be close to you. Keep yourself hydrated at all times.
Toiletries (Unscented)
At Hajj, Muslims are instructed to leave fragrances at home so fragrance free hygiene products are easily available for purchase once you are there, at various kiosks and shops. Pack everything from unscented body wipes to shampoo in your main luggage, but always carry hand sanitizer and baby wipes (traveling with baby or without) in your handy backpack. For those prone to chaffing, we would recommend carrying some petroleum jelly as well. Additionally, pack fragrance free deodorant, your toothbrush, toothpaste, miswak, mouth wash and any other sanitary products.
Sun Protection
Hats are not permitted during Hajj, but umbrellas and sunblock (fragrance free) are a-ok, and a must-have! The sun will be beating down and the only respite you will get is a bit of shade from under your umbrella. Though women are covered from their wrists to their ankles, the hands, feet and face can be sunburnt quickly. Men must use some kind of sun-protection as they are more exposed to the rays. In addition to a light-weight umbrella (travel sized for your back pack!), consider packing a foldable paper fan and an after sun soother such as an aloe vera gel in pocket size.
Snacks
When you’re out on foot in high temperatures, combatting jet lag and needing to keep your energy levels up, you will need to munch on something. Dried fruits, dates and nuts will be available everywhere on your journey, but if you have dietary restrictions or preferences, pack those up in reusable bags (to lessen waste) for your Hajj.
Extras
The Hajj for many people is the result of a great deal of sacrifice, saving and spiritual struggle. Take time out of your day to write some thoughts down in a notebook with a pen, or as notes in your phone or tablet so you can always revisit the moments. Pack a good portable charger to keep your phone juiced. Make sure your clothing is pure cotton. If traveling with family, tie similar colored bandanas to your backpacks to easily find one another in case you get separated in the crowds.
At Hajj, focus on backpacking with these essential items
At Hajj, focus on backpacking with these essential items
- On August 9, millions of Muslims will head to Makkah to perform the pilgrimage
- The journey which requires miles of walking, needs an efficient and clever packing list
Pakistan PM visits Azerbaijan embassy, condoles loss of lives in Kazakhstan plane crash
- At least 38 people were killed when Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane crashed in Kazakhstan’s Aktau city
- Shehbaz Sharif says ties between Pakistan and Azerbaijan rooted in shared religious and cultural values
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Azerbaijan’s embassy in Islamabad on Thursday to condole over the loss of lives in the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
At least 38 people were killed when an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane with 67 people on board crashed near the Kazakhstan city of Aktau on Wednesday. The Embraer 190 aircraft was en route from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus.
The Pakistani prime minister visited the Azerbaijan embassy in Islamabad where he met Khazar Farhadov to offer his condolences over the incident.
“In this hour of grief, the government of Pakistan and the people of Pakistan express their complete solidarity with the brothers and sisters of Azerbaijan,” Sharif was quoted as saying by the PMO.
The Pakistani prime minister prayed for the speedy recovery of all injured in the blast.
“Azerbaijan and Pakistan have strong relations of brotherhood based on shared religious and cultural values,” Sharif said.
Pakistan has eyed closer economic cooperation with Central Asian states such as Azerbaijan in recent months as the South Asian nation faces an economic crisis.
During Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev’s two-day visit to Pakistan in July, both nations agreed to enhance the volume of bilateral trade to $2 billion, vowing to strengthen ties and increase cooperation in mutually beneficial economic projects.
They also signed the Pakistan-Azerbaijan Preferential Trade Agreement to boost economic cooperation through the reduction of tariffs on goods like Pakistani sports equipment, leather, and pharmaceuticals as well as Azerbaijani oil and gas products.
Pakistan reports two new polio cases as 2024 tally surges to 67
- Pakistan detects poliovirus cases from Kashmore in southern Sindh and Tank in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces
- Efforts to eradicate polio have been undermined by misinformation, opposition from religious hard-liners
KARACHI: Pakistan reported two new polio cases on Thursday, pushing this year’s tally of the infection to 67, the country’s polio eradication program said amid Islamabad’s struggle to contain the spread of the disease.
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. The nation’s polio eradication campaign has faced serious problems with a spike in reported cases this year that have prompted officials to review their approach to stopping the crippling disease.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at Pakistan’s National Institute of Health confirmed that two wild poliovirus type 1 cases, one each from Tank in northwestern Pakistan and Kashmore in Sindh were reported on Thursday.
“Pakistan is responding to the resurgence of WPV1 this year with 67 cases reported so far,” the Polio Eradication Programme said. “Of these, 27 are from Balochistan, 19 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 19 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.”
It said that this was the fourth case reported from Tank and second from Kashmore this year.
Pakistani authorities last week conducted a large-scale sub-national polio vaccination campaign in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad, vaccinating over 42 million children.
The second phase of the campaign is scheduled to begin on Dec. 30, covering Balochistan province.
Poliovirus, which can cause crippling paralysis particularly in young children, is incurable and remains a threat to human health as long as it has not been eradicated. Immunization campaigns have succeeded in most countries and have come close in Pakistan, but persistent problems remain.
In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases. Six cases were reported in 2023 and only one in 2021.
Pakistan’s polio program began in 1994 but efforts to eradicate the virus have since been undermined by vaccine misinformation and opposition from some religious hard-liners, who say immunization is a foreign ploy to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western spies. Militant groups also frequently attack and kill members of polio vaccine teams.
UN calls for investigation into Pakistan’s alleged air strikes on Afghanistan border
- UN mission in Afghanistan says dozens of civilians killed in airstrikes this week by Pakistan in Paktika province
- Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring militant fighters, allowing them to strike on Pakistani soil with impunity
KABUL: The UN mission to Afghanistan on Thursday called for an investigation into Pakistani air strikes in Afghanistan, in which the Taliban government said 46 people were killed, including civilians.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it had “received credible reports that dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed in airstrikes by Pakistan’s military forces in Paktika province, Afghanistan, on 24 December.”
“International law obliges military forces to take necessary precautions to prevent civilian harm,” the agency said in a statement, adding an “investigation is needed to ensure accountability.”
The Taliban government said the 46 deceased were mainly women and children, with another six wounded, mostly children.
An AFP journalist saw several wounded children in a hospital in the provincial capital Sharan, including one receiving an IV and another with a bandaged head.
A Pakistan security official told AFP on Wednesday the bombardment had targeted “terrorist hideouts” and killed at least 20 militants, saying claims that “civilians are being harmed are baseless and misleading.”
On a press trip to the area organized by Taliban authorities, AFP journalists saw four mud brick buildings reduced to rubble in three sites around 20-30 kilometers (10-20 miles) from the Pakistan border.
AFP spoke to multiple residents who said the strikes hit in the late evening, breaking doors and windows in villages and destroying homes and an Islamic school.
Several residents reported pulling bodies from the rubble after strikes targeted houses, killing multiple members of the same families.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs Noorullah Noori called the attack “a brutal, arrogant invasion.”
“This is unacceptable and won’t be left unanswered,” he said during the site visit.
Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch did not confirm the strikes but told a media briefing on Thursday: “Our security personnel conduct operations in border areas to protect Pakistani from terror groups, including TTP.”
She was referring to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — Pakistan’s homegrown Taliban group which shares a common ideology with its Afghan counterpart.
The TTP last week claimed a raid on an army outpost near the border with Afghanistan in which Pakistan said 16 soldiers were killed.
Baloch said Pakistan prioritized dialogue with Afghanistan, and that Islamabad’s special envoy, Sadiq Khan, was in Kabul meeting with officials where “matters of security” and “terror groups including TTP” were discussed.
The strikes were the latest spike in hostilities on the frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with border tensions between the two countries escalating since the Taliban government seized power in 2021.
Islamabad has accused Kabul’s authorities of harboring militant fighters, allowing them to strike on Pakistani soil with impunity — allegations Kabul denies.
Army major, 13 militants killed during separate operations in northwestern Pakistan — military
- Major Muhammad Awais, 31, killed while battling militants in South Waziristan district, says military
- Sixteen soldiers were killed on Saturday in northwest Pakistan as Islamabad grapples with militancy
ISLAMABAD: An army major and 13 militants were killed during three separate intelligence-based operations in northwestern Pakistan, the military’s media wing said on Thursday, vowing to eliminate militancy from the country.
Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which lies on the country’s border with Afghanistan, has witnessed frequent attacks by the Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups that targeted security forces convoys and check posts in recent months.
The latest killings were reported after three separate gunbattles between militants and Pakistani security forces from Dec. 25-26, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. Two militants were killed in Bannu district while five others were killed in the North Waziristan district in a separate operation.
“However, during this operation, Major Muhammad Awais (age: 31 years, resident of District Narowal), a brave officer, who was leading his troops from the front, having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced Shahadat [martyrdom],” the ISPR said.
In the third operation in South Waziristan district, six militants were gunned down by the security forces while eight others were injured.
“Security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthens our resolve,” the military said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to Pakistan’s security forces for battling militants and offered condolences for Major Awais’s killing.
“The entire nation salutes martyred Major Owais,” he said in a statement. “We remain resolute in our desire to eliminate all forms of terrorism.”
Pakistan has struggled to contain militancy in its northwestern KP province. Sixteen Pakistani soldiers and eight militants were killed in a gunfight on Saturday in South Waziristan, the military reported.
The attack was claimed by the Pakistani Taliban.
Islamabad has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.
KSrelief distributes food aid to displaced persons from Pakistani district facing sectarian clashes
- 500 food packages distributed to people from Kurram district currently residing in Tehsil Thall and facing urgent food insecurity
- KSrelief has implemented 210 projects in Pakistan worth millions of dollars to improve the lives of vulnerable communities
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) on Thursday launched a food security initiative in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, distributing food packages to people from a district marred by sectarian clashes since last month.
Kurram — a tribal district of around 600,000 in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where federal and provincial authorities have traditionally exerted limited control — has frequently experienced violence between its Sunni and Shia communities over land and power. Travelers to and from the town often ride in convoys escorted by security officials. The latest violence erupted on Nov. 21 when gunmen ambushed a vehicle convoy, killing 52 people, mostly Shias.
The assault triggered road closures and other measures that have disrupted people’s access to medicine, food, fuel, education and work. Over 130 people have been killed in the fighting that has ensued after the convoy attack, according to police records.
“As part of this effort, 500 food packages were distributed to displaced beneficiaries from Kurram district, who are currently residing in Tehsil Thall and facing urgent food insecurity,” the Saudi charity KSRelief said in a statement.
“The distribution took place in a camp in District Hangu, providing timely relief to displaced families in need.”
The initiative is part of KSrelief’s first phase of the Food Security Support Project for 2024-25, which aims to distribute 10,000 food packages among poor people across 14 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
KSrelief has implemented 210 projects in Pakistan worth millions of dollars to improve the lives of vulnerable communities. Efforts include emergency relief for natural disasters, and long-term projects addressing food security, health care, education, and shelter. Shelter NFI and Winter Kits Project are notable initiatives providing essential items to families in harsh weather conditions, and food distribution programs that combat hunger and malnutrition.
In partnership with UNICEF, KSrelief supports critical health initiatives, such as vaccination campaigns to prevent polio and measles, safeguarding millions of children. The Noor Saudi Volunteer Project provides free eye care through eye camps, combating blindness among underprivileged populations.
