ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani ministry of religious affairs on Wednesday urged the masses to disregard rumors about Hajj pilgrims and verify information from credible sources before sharing it on social media platforms.
The statement came in response to reports and videos that purportedly showed some Pakistani pilgrims had been left stranded while performing rituals in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah during the Hajj pilgrimage.
Abdul Wahab Soomro, director-general of the Pakistan Hajj Mission (PHM), said the videos shared online were “baseless” and their authenticity could not be confirmed.
“The PHM relies on information provided by the Saudi government, which is later verified by the mission itself,” the official said in a statement.
“As of 4:00 PM on June 18, a total of 9 deaths of Pakistanis had occurred in Mashair, with 4 in Mina, 3 in Arafat, and 2 in Muzdalifah,” he said, adding that this year’s Hajj was challenging due to extreme heat and harsh weather conditions, with temperatures reaching 50°C.
Soomro emphasized the mission received reports of deaths and verified them before taking any action.
“The Saudi government has set up a system for burials and funeral prayers in Haramain, and arrangements are also made to send the dead body of a pilgrim to Pakistan if the heirs demand it,” he added.
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and requires every adult Muslim to undertake the journey to the holy Islamic sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime if they are financially and physically able.
Pilgrims pelted the jamarat and performed the Farewell Tawaf on Tuesday, bringing this year’s Hajj to a close.
Pakistan had a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims this year, of which more than 70,000 people performed the pilgrimage under the government scheme, while the rest used private tour operators.
The South Asian country will begin its post-Hajj flight operation on Thursday to bring local pilgrims back home.
Pakistani religion ministry urges people to disregard social media rumors about Hajj pilgrims
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Pakistani religion ministry urges people to disregard social media rumors about Hajj pilgrims
- The statement came in response to reports and videos that purportedly showed some Pakistani pilgrims had been left stranded during Hajj rituals
- Pakistan Hajj Mission director-general says the videos shared online are ‘baseless,’ urges people to rely on credible sources for accurate information
Pakistan to restore train services from Quetta this week after deadly hijacking
- 31 soldiers, staff and civilians killed as BLA separatists hijacked Jaffar Express train in Balochistan earlier this month
- BLA is largest and strongest of several ethnic Baloch groups fighting for decades to win independence for Balochistan
QUETTA: Pakistan Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi said on Wednesday train operations from Quetta Railway station in the southwestern Balochistan province would be fully restored from Mar. 28 while Jaffar Express, the victim of a deadly hijacking by militants earlier this month, would resume services to Peshawar from tomorrow, Thursday.
The separatist Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the Mar. 12 attack on the Jaffar Express, during which they blew up train tracks and held passengers hostage in a day-long standoff with security services in a remote mountain pass. The death toll included 31 soldiers, staff and civilians.
Addressing a news conference in Quetta, Abbasi said Jaffar Express would depart for the northwestern city of Peshawar tomorrow, Thursday, but full-scale train services from Quetta would be restored on Mar. 28.
“Although we don’t have enough strength of Railway Police Forces, many stations require fencing and other security equipment,” he told reporters, admitting that railways facilities in the province faced security challenges.
“We are recruiting 500 soldiers in the Pakistan Railway Police and 70 percent of the recruitment would be for Balochistan,” the minister added. “We have planned new security strategies with the frontier corps and other law enforcing agencies.”
He also announced a special Eid train from Quetta Railway station with fool-proof security for passengers.
“We are very much optimistic about better security to the railway’s passengers in Balochistan,” Abbasi said.
“We have repaired all damaged carriages of the attacked Jaffar Express, and new rack of carriages would be included in the train operations from Balochistan.”
The BLA is the largest and strongest of several ethnic Baloch insurgent groups which have been fighting for decades to win independence for the mineral-rich province, home to major China-led projects including a port and gold and copper mines.
Pakistan court sentences five men to death for ‘blasphemous content’ — lawyer
- Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in the prosecution of “online blasphemy” cases
- Vigilante groups bring charges against hundreds of individuals for committing blasphemy
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan court has sentenced five men to death for posting “blasphemous content online,” a prosecution lawyer told AFP on Wednesday.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in the prosecution of “online blasphemy” cases, with private vigilante groups bringing charges against hundreds of young individuals for allegedly committing blasphemy.
“All five accused were sentenced to death for spreading blasphemous content against the holy Prophet,” a lawyer from the Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan, a private group which brought the case to court, told AFP.
“Separately all were sentenced to life imprisonment for Qur'an’s desecration and 10 years imprisonment for hurting religious sentiments,” lawyer Rao Abdur Raheem said.
The five men — one Afghan and four Pakistanis — were sentenced on Tuesday in Rawalpindi, the garrison city that neighbors the capital Islamabad.
The sentences will run concurrently, Raheem said.
Blasphemy is an incendiary charge in the Muslim-majority country, where even unsubstantiated accusations can incite public outrage and lead to lynchings.
The convicts have a right to appeal in the upper courts.
Pakistan economy grew 1.73 percent in 2nd quarter, government says
- National Accounts Committee says first quarter real GDP estimate revised up to 1.34 percent due to higher-than expected growth in services sector
- Announcement came just hours after IMF staff reached deal with Pakistan for new $1.3 billion financing and praised country’s macroeconomic stability
ISLAMABAD, March 26 : Pakistan’s government said on Wednesday the country’s provisional GDP growth rate was 1.73 percent in the second quarter of the current financial year ending on June 30 and upgraded its estimate for the previous quarter.
The government National Accounts Committee said in a statement that Pakistan had revised the first quarter real GDP estimate up to 1.34 percent from earlier estimates of 0.92 percent due to higher-than expected growth in the services sector.
The announcement came just hours after International Monetary Fund staff reached a deal with Pakistan for new $1.3 billion financing and praised the country’s progress on boosting macroeconomic stability.
The country’s central bank in March said its full-year GDP growth target was at 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent and said it expected economic activity to gain further momentum. (Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia discuss expansion of Makkah Route Initiative for Hajj pilgrims
- The initiative streamlines immigration by allowing pilgrims to complete travel formalities at departure airports
- Pakistan’s religious affairs minister praises the Kingdom for focusing on the welfare of his country’s pilgrims
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf on Wednesday discussed expanding the Makkah Route Initiative to more Pakistani cities with Saudi Minister of Hajj Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah while praising the Kingdom for its continued focus on the welfare of Pakistani pilgrims, according to an official statement.
The Makkah Route Initiative is designed to streamline immigration processes by enabling pilgrims to complete official travel formalities at their departure airports. Initially tested in Islamabad in 2019, the program was later expanded to Karachi, benefitting tens of thousands of Pakistani travelers.
“Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf met with Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah,” Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry said in a statement. “The meeting included discussions on enhancing facilities for Hajj pilgrims and Umrah visitors, as well as expanding the scope of the Makkah Route Initiative to other cities in Pakistan.”
The Pakistani minister said pilgrims from his country had greatly benefited from the special attention given by the Saudi authorities.
Dr. Al-Rabiah congratulated Sardar Yousaf on assuming charge of the religious affairs ministry and reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to serving pilgrims.
“It is an honor to welcome large numbers of pilgrims from Pakistan each year,” he said, adding that “serving Hajj and Umrah pilgrims remains one of the Saudi government’s top priorities.”
The ministers also discussed issues related to the registration process for Pakistani pilgrims.
Dr. Al-Rabiah assured the concerns of Pakistani Hajj applicants would be addressed on a priority basis, adding the Saudi authorities had introduced several new measures this year to improve services for pilgrims.
Pakistan reviews preparations for nationwide polio campaign as six cases confirmed for 2025
- Next vaccine drives scheduled to be held in April and May
- Pakistan saw a surge in cases last year with 74 confirmations
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national polio management team on Wednesday reviewed preparations for a nationwide polio vaccination campaign set to be held in April and May as the country reported six new cases in 2025 and 74 last year.
Polio is a crippling disease with no cure and multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, along with timely completion of routine immunization for children under five, are essential to building protection against the virus.
The government has planned several nationwide immunization campaigns in 2025 to address immunity gaps after a surge in cases last year.
“Prime Minister’s focal person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq emphasized making the April and May campaigns more effective to stop the spread of the virus,” the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) said on Wednesday.
“She said no child should be left unvaccinated in the upcoming polio campaign.”
Pakistan’s polio eradication program was launched in 1994, but progress has been hindered by persistent vaccine misinformation and resistance from conservative clerics who view immunization as part of a foreign conspiracy.
Polio vaccinators have also faced targeted violence from militants in many regions of the country.
