‘Excellent arrangements’: Pakistani women pilgrims laud hospitality by Hajj mission in Madinah

The photo taken on May 31, 2023 shows Pakistani pilgrims as they are received by the country's Hajj mission in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, upon arrival for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (AN Photo)
Short Url
Updated 01 June 2023
Follow

‘Excellent arrangements’: Pakistani women pilgrims laud hospitality by Hajj mission in Madinah

  • Over 31,000 Pakistani pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrimage this summer
  • Women pilgrims say travel and stay well catered to, guidance regarding pilgrimage given in detail

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani women pilgrims this week lauded “excellent arrangements” made by the country’s Hajj mission in Madinah, describing their experience so far as smooth, with travel and accommodation excellently catered to, and helpful guidance regarding the pilgrimage provided in detail. 

Over 31,000 Pakistani pilgrims have already arrived in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage later this summer. More than 27,000 are still in Madinah while 4,000 have reached Makkah by bus, the Pakistani religious affairs ministry said on Wednesday. 

In January, Saudi Arabia removed COVID-19 restrictions for the 2023 Hajj season and said it would host pre-pandemic numbers of pilgrims. Pakistan’s pre-pandemic Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims was also restored and the upper age limit of 65 for pilgrims was removed. 

Around 80,000 Pakistani pilgrims will be performing the pilgrimage this year under the government scheme, while over 91,000 will use private tour operators. Hajj flights from the country commenced on May 21, with the final flight set to depart for Saudi Arabia on June 21.

Hajj is expected to begin on June 26.




The photo taken on May 31, 2023 shows Pakistani pilgrims as they are received by the Hajj mission in Madinah, Saudi Arabia upon arrival for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (AN Photo)

“[The Pakistan Hajj mission] has made excellent arrangements for Hajj pilgrims and we have not encountered any issues so far,” Dilshad Bibi, a Pakistani pilgrim from Rawalpindi, told Arab News.

“We are grateful to Almighty Allah for granting us the opportunity to be His guests,” she said, describing the hospitality as “exceptional” and hotel arrangements as being of “high quality.”




Muslim pilgrims arrive at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah on June 5, 2022, prior to the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. (AFP/File)

Zara Ahmed, who is planning to perform Hajj for the first time and hails from Lahore, expressed satisfaction with the arrangements in Madinah and urged others to appreciate the “good things.”

“I came on Hajj for the first time and the arrangements are very good,” she told Arab News, adding that she had posted on social media about her experience to help provide guidance to others. 

“We should learn to appreciate the overall experience rather than focusing on complaining.”

Another pilgrim from Karachi, Hiba Farooq, said she was “surprised” by how good the arrangements were after reaching Madinah.

“The government has made excellent arrangements, which we were not expecting, but the food quality and everything else are very good,” she told Arab News.

“They have also made good arrangements for women pilgrims, and the rooms are also satisfactory.”




Muslim pilgrims arrive at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah on June 5, 2022, prior to the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. (AFP/File)

Farooq urged pilgrims to cooperate with the authorities in managing the rush and learn to stand in queues: “We should also demonstrate cooperation by patiently waiting for our turn as starting a sudden uproar benefits no one.”

Another pilgrim, Nusrat Javed, appreciated the training provided to pilgrims by the Pakistani Hajj mission to prepare them for the journey ahead.

“They [the Pakistan Hajj mission] explained all the steps of performing Hajj in great detail, and this is crucial because even the slightest mistake is not acceptable in this process,” she told Arab News.

Sehar Aslam, a pilgrim from Islamabad, said the arrangements had been “incredibly smooth,” from the collection of passports from the Hajj camp to the administration of vaccines, appreciating Hajj mission representatives and volunteers for being “available everywhere” to assist pilgrims.

“The entire process was timely,” she said. “From our flight departure to landing, and the hotel we are staying in is excellent, and everyone is cooperating very well.”


Pakistan forms task force against Islamabad protesters as Imran Khan’s party seeks action against ministers

Updated 29 November 2024
Follow

Pakistan forms task force against Islamabad protesters as Imran Khan’s party seeks action against ministers

  • Task force will be headed by the interior minister and will identify those who ‘spread violence’ in the capital
  • PTI’s information secretary shares 12 names, saying the party has evidence they were killed in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday formed a task force to identify and prosecute individuals involved in last week’s protest in Islamabad, as the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claimed 12 supporters were killed in clashes and demanded police cases against top government ministers.
The PTI protest began on November 24 as the party supporters demanded the release of jailed leader, former premier Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated for over a year.
The government had warned against demonstrations in the federal capital, but protesters gathered in defiance, resulting in a crackdown against them. While PTI accuses the government of using live ammunition to kill and seriously injure demonstrators, officials claim PTI activists fired on security forces, killing five personnel.
The task force, headed by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, was announced as Sharif chaired a high-level security meeting, with Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir in attendance, in Islamabad.
“The task force will ensure those responsible for spreading chaos and violence on November 24 are identified and brought to justice in accordance with the law,” the PM Office said in the statement.
Meanwhile, PTI’s Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram, speaking at a news conference in Peshawar, alleged that the government had indiscriminately targeted protesters, sharing names of 12 individuals the party said were killed.
He said videos and evidence from the protest site near the parliament building in Islamabad corroborated the party claims, adding that the actual death toll could be higher as many were missing or critically injured.
“We strongly demand police complaints be lodged against the prime minister, the interior minister and information minister,” he said. “Without this, public unrest will continue to grow.”
“We urge the judiciary to step forward and ensure these killers are brought to justice,” he added.
The government has also announced plans to create a federal riot control force, saying it would be equipped with international-standard resources and skills to prevent such protests in the future.


Pakistan, China hold joint military drill amid Beijing’s concerns over attacks on nationals

Updated 29 November 2024
Follow

Pakistan, China hold joint military drill amid Beijing’s concerns over attacks on nationals

  • Warrior VIII, which began on November 19, aims to bolster counterterrorism capabilities
  • Pakistan’s army chief interacted with the participants of the exercise and praised their morale

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Friday visited the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) in Pabbi, located in the Gujrat division of Punjab province, to observe a joint counterterrorism exercise between the Pakistan Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China, said an official statement.
The three-week “Warrior VIII” exercise, which began on November 19, is the eighth iteration of bilateral training aimed at bolstering counterterrorism capabilities and enhancing military cooperation.
The exercise comes as China’s security concerns in Pakistan have grown following a spate of attacks targeting Chinese nationals working on dozens of lucrative projects in the country.
“The COAS was briefed on the scope and conduct of the exercise,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said. “He also interacted with the participants of the exercise.”
Thousands of Chinese nationals have been working on the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for nearly a decade, with several of them being targeted by different militant groups operating in Pakistan.
Earlier this year, in March, a suicide bomber attacked a convoy near Besham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing five Chinese engineers. A few months later, in October, a bombing near Karachi airport targeted Chinese workers ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Islamabad.
Beijing has voiced concerns over the safety of its citizens working in Pakistan and has reportedly proposed a joint security mechanism.
However, the foreign office said this month the two countries have a “robust dialogue and cooperation” on a range of issues, including counterterrorism and the security of Chinese nationals in the country.
It also expressed the government’s resolve to work with Chinese authorities to ensure the safety and security of their nationals, as well as their projects and investments.
According to Voice of America, Warrior VIII is the first joint counterterrorism exercise between the two countries in five years.
The ISPR said General Munir also praised the professionalism and high morale of the officers and soldiers participating in the joint military exercise.


European aviation safety agency lifts Pakistan airline ban — minister

Updated 29 November 2024
Follow

European aviation safety agency lifts Pakistan airline ban — minister

  • The development will revive PIA’s flights to Europe, strengthen the government’s privatization drive
  • Pakistan’s Airblue has secured Third Country Operator authorization to fly to European destinations

KARACHI: The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has lifted a ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights after a span of four years, Defense and Aviation Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif announced Friday, commending all the relevant officials who made the breakthrough possible.
The ban on PIA flights was imposed in 2020 after a crash in Karachi killed 97 people, followed by a former Pakistani aviation minister’s statement claiming that nearly 40 percent of local pilots held “dubious” licenses.
This statement raised global concerns about safety oversight, leading to the grounding of PIA’s European operations.
The suspension added to PIA’s financial troubles, as the debt-ridden national carrier continued to incur losses amid its struggle to recover from a tarnished reputation. The government also faced difficulties privatizing the airline, a condition set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during recent loan negotiations, due to its precarious financial situation.
“It is a momentous day to announce that the European Commission and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has lifted the suspension on PIA flights to Europe,” the aviation minister wrote in a social media post.

He also announced that the decision granted Third Country Operator (TCO) authorization to another Pakistani airline, Airblue, marking a significant development for the aviation sector.
TCO authorization granted by EASA allows non-European airlines to operate commercial flights into, within or out of European Union airspace.
Airblue, Pakistan’s second-largest airline, operates domestic and regional routes and is expected to explore European operations following the TCO authorization.
Responding to the development, PIA lauded the lifting of the ban as a testament to its adherence to international safety standards.
“This milestone ensures that the entire nation can once again travel directly to European destinations with their national airline,” the airline said in a statement, adding it had worked tirelessly over the past four years to meet EASA’s safety requirements.

“The PIA administration will remain fully compliant with EASA and its rules and regulations,” it added.
Asif credited the lifting of the suspension to reforms in Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), which he said were aimed at aligning the regulator with international standards.
“I am grateful to the European Commission and EASA for conducting a transparent process and our commitment to ensuring aviation safety in Pakistan,” he said in the social media message.
The development is expected to help revive PIA’s European operations and strengthen the government’s privatization efforts by improving the airline’s appeal to potential investors.


Pakistan receives 38,000 Hajj applications in 10 days

Updated 29 November 2024
Follow

Pakistan receives 38,000 Hajj applications in 10 days

  • Total number of applications received so far is 11,000 more than during the corresponding period last year
  • Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210, evenly split between the government and private tour operators

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs said on Friday that 38,000 Hajj applications had been received in the first 10 days of the submission period, 11,000 more than during the same period last year.
The surge comes as Pakistan prepares to send 179,210 pilgrims for the annual Islamic pilgrimage in 2025, under a quota evenly divided between government and private Hajj schemes.
“By the tenth day, 38,000 Hajj applications have been received,” a ministry said in a statement, adding that designated banks would continue accepting applications over the weekend. The final deadline for submissions is Dec. 3.
Pilgrims under the regular Hajj scheme can secure their booking with an initial payment of Rs200,000 ($719), according to the statement.
Pakistan has steadily improved facilities for pilgrims in recent years.
One key initiative is the Makkah Route Initiative, which streamlines immigration processes by enabling pilgrims to complete formalities at their departure airports.
Initially tested in Islamabad in 2019, the program was later expanded to Karachi, benefitting tens of thousands of travelers.
Efforts have also included the launch of a mobile application, Pak Hajj 2025, to provide pilgrims with essential updates, flight details and navigation assistance in Saudi Arabia.
Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, attracts millions of Muslims annually to Makkah, with Pakistan consistently being among the largest contributors of pilgrims.


ICC talks continue on fate of Pakistan Champions Trophy

Updated 29 November 2024
Follow

ICC talks continue on fate of Pakistan Champions Trophy

  • Event’s fate has been hanging in the balance since India declined to visit Pakistan
  • ICC meeting adjourned without a decision but will reconvene ‘in the next few days’

KARACHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) said talks were continuing to settle uncertainty around next year’s Champions Trophy, sources told AFP, after India refused to travel to host nation Pakistan.
The event’s fate has been hanging in the balance since earlier this month, when the ICC said India had declined to visit Pakistan for the eight-team tournament.
The nuclear-armed neighbors have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent’s partition in 1947 and that rivalry is often reflected on the cricket field.
A meeting by the Dubai-headquartered ICC was held briefly on Friday but adjourned without a decision, according to several sources with knowledge of the talks who were not authorized to speak to media.
“All parties continue to work toward a positive resolution,” said one source, adding that “it is expected that the board will reconvene in the next few days.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board has previously ruled out proposals allowing India to play in a neutral third country, insisting the full schedule from February 19 to March 9 must be staged on their turf.
Another source said the “Pakistani stance remains the same” following Friday’s brief meeting.