ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday congratulated Muslims from across the world for undertaking the annual Hajj pilgrimage, praying for the alleviation of Pakistan’s economic woes on the holy occasion.
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken by all Muslims with the means at least once in their lifetime. The pilgrimage includes a series of rites completed over four days in Makkah and its surroundings in the west of Saudi Arabia.
This year, Saudi Arabia reinstated Pakistan’s pre-pandemic Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims and scrapped the upper age limit of 65 in January. On Monday, around 2 million pilgrims converged on the tent city of Mina to begin the spiritual journey of a lifetime as the sacred pilgrimage got underway.
“Happy Hajj from me to all the Pakistanis, the Muslim Ummah, and the millions of pilgrims for performing the Hajj in Makkah today,” PM Sharif wrote in a Twitter post.
“On the occasion of Hajj, I pray to the Almighty God to remove all the economic problems of Pakistan and make the country the cradle of development, peace, and prosperity.”
The Pakistan premier also prayed for the worldwide Muslim community, especially those living in Palestine and the disputed territory of Kashmir.
This year marks the return to a full-scale Hajj for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and Saudi authorities have put thorough plans in place to ensure the safe and flawless movement of pilgrims.
More than 2 million are expected in total, including 1.6 million from other countries.