ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religion ministry announced the final cost of the government’s long and short duration Hajj packages, saying that the former will cost Rs1,075,000 ($3,805) per head while the cost for the shorter duration has been set at Rs1,150,000 ($4,120).
Saudi Arabia has allocated a quota of 179,210 Hajj pilgrims for Pakistan in 2025, with an equal split between the government and private schemes. Pakistan last year set the same cost for Hajj 2024 under the government scheme.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) this month said the government had introduced a “shortened” Hajj program of 20 to 25 days for the first time which would make the journey easier and more accessible for Pakistani pilgrims. Pakistan’s Hajj Policy 2025 also allows pilgrims to pay for the pilgrimage in installments for the first time ever.
“The Ministry of Religious Affairs has announced the final Hajj package prices,” the religion ministry said. “The final price of the long Hajj package has been set at Rs10,75,000 while the short Hajj package has been set at Rs11,50,000.”
The statement added that the third installment of Hajj dues will be collected from Feb. 1-10.
It said limited seats were left for the government’s Hajj scheme, adding that its applications would be accepted until Jan. 30. The statement also mentioned that bookings for the short Hajj scheme had now been filled.
“New applications will be accepted on a first-come first-serve basis until Jan. 30,” it added. “Private Hajj pilgrims can continue booking until Jan. 31.”
The ministry also advised Hajj organizing companies to immediately upload the data of private pilgrims to the government’s e-portal.
The ministry has also launched the Pak Hajj 2025 mobile application, available for both Android and iPhone users, to guide pilgrims. Additionally, the government announced a reduction in airfare, lowering ticket prices for federal program pilgrims to Rs 220,000, down from last year’s Rs 234,000.
Pakistan International Airlines, Saudi Airlines, and private carriers have agreed to transport pilgrims this year.
Pakistan says ‘long’ Hajj package under government scheme to cost $3,805
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Pakistan says ‘long’ Hajj package under government scheme to cost $3,805
- Long and short Hajj packages prices to cost $3,847 and $4,124, respectively, religion ministry says
- Pakistan introduced 20-25 day duration Hajj program for pilgrims’ convenience for first time this year
Two killed in attack on police van in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province
- Police van was targeted near a crowded market in Quetta, injuring 17 people including policemen
- No group claimed responsibility for attack in Balochistan, site of a decades-long separatists insurgency
QUETTA: A health official said on Thursday two dead bodies and 17 injured people had been brought to a hospital in the southwestern Pakistan city of Quetta after a bomb attack on a police van.
Footage seen by Arab News showed a damaged police mobile van standing on a crowded double road in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan province, as residents attempted to remove a burning motorbike parked close to the vehicle. The blast happened near a crowded market where people were busy with shopping ahead of the religious festival of Eid Al-Fitr, which begins next week.
“We have received two dead bodies of civilians and 17 injured including four policemen,” Waseem Baig, the spokesman for the Civil Hospital, told Arab News. “Five injured are in critical condition and being treated at the trauma center of the hospital.”
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the latest attack in Balochistan, but suspicion is likely to fall on the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), 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.
The attack on the police van comes a day after gunmen killed at least six people in “coordinated” attacks in Balochistan that largely targeted bus passengers based on their ethnicity, police said on Thursday.
Earlier this month, ethnic Baloch separatists attacked a train with 450 passengers on board, sparking a two-day siege during which dozens of people were killed.
Days later, at least five paramilitaries were killed in a vehicle-borne suicide attack. Both assaults were claimed by the separatist BLA.
The group also launched coordinated attacks last year that included taking control of a major highway and shooting dead travelers from other ethnic groups, stunning the country.
The militants have additionally targeted energy projects with foreign financing, most notably from China, accusing outsiders of exploiting the resource-rich region while excluding residents in the poorest part of Pakistan.
Last year was the deadliest year in a decade in Pakistan, following a trend of rising militancy since the Taliban took control in Afghanistan in 2021.
-With input from AFP
Pakistan says will hold counter-terrorism dialogue with US in June
- Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Acting US Ambassador Natalie Baker discuss bilateral ties, counter-terror cooperation
- Meeting takes place amid surge in militant attacks in recent weeks in Pakistan’s western provinces of KP and Balochistan
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad and Washington will hold a counter-terrorism dialogue in June this year, a statement from Pakistan’s interior ministry said on Thursday amid efforts by both countries to forge closer ties and cooperation to battle militancy.
Pakistan and the US have a history of cooperation in counterterrorism efforts, particularly during the “War on Terror” following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Despite periods of strained relations, Pakistan has captured and handed over several Taliban and Al-Qaeda members to US authorities.
Acting US Ambassador Natalie Baker called on Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Islamabad, the interior ministry said. Both sides discussed Pakistan-US relations, matters of mutual interest and bilateral cooperation, it said.
“Both sides also discussed to enhance mutual cooperation in the field of counterterrorism efforts,” the ministry said. “It was agreed to hold a counter-terrorism dialogue in June this year.”
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump acknowledged Pakistan for helping America arrest a senior Daesh operative implicated in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 US service members.
Baker strongly condemned the recent “terrorist attack” involving the Jaffar Express train, in which 31 people were killed this month after militants stormed it in southwestern Balochistan province earlier this month.
Hundreds of passengers were held hostage before the military rescued them after a day-long standoff.
Naqvi urged the global community to work together to combat “terrorism,” describing it as an international issue, the ministry said.
“He further said that the Government of Pakistan is taking strong action against terrorists and a comprehensive policy is being formulated related to counter-terrorism,” the statement said.
Thanking Trump for acknowledging Pakistan’s help in battling “terrorism,” Naqvi said Islamabad would extend “full cooperation” in the repatriation of illegal Pakistani immigrants residing in the United States.
The meeting between the two sides took place amid a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan’s western provinces bordering Afghanistan, especially Balochistan, where ethnic Baloch militants have long carried out attacks targeting law enforcers.
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh sign ‘landmark’ agreement to strengthen capital market cooperation
- Initiative aims to create new opportunities for investors and market participants across the region, PSX says
- MoU establishes formal platform for dialogue and joint initiatives, with working groups to implement cooperation framework
KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) has entered into a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), PSX said on Thursday, describing it as a “landmark move” to strengthen regional capital market cooperation.
The agreement signed in Colombo aims to establish an exchange forum to facilitate technology development and sharing, human resource sharing, product development, regulatory collaboration, investor protection, and knowledge exchange across the three markets.
“This initiative will foster deeper regional cooperation among the three South Asian nations while creating new opportunities for investors and market participants across the region,” the PSX said in a statement.
Joint initiatives in system development and digital transformation, cross-exchange training programs and knowledge-sharing initiatives, collaborative development of new financial instruments, harmonization of market oversight and investor protection frameworks, exploration of cross-border listing opportunities to expand investor access and facilitation of broker partnerships and institutional connectivity were listed in the PSX statement as the key areas of collaboration under the MoU.
“This strategic partnership marks a significant step forward in regional market integration. By combining our strengths, these three exchanges can drive innovation, enhance market resilience, and create new opportunities for investors across South Asia,” said Akif Saeed, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), who was present at the ceremony.
Farrukh H. Sabzwari, MD & CEO of PSX, said the agreement represented a “transformative chapter” in regional capital market cooperation.
“Through this partnership with our counterparts in Colombo and Dhaka, we aim to elevate market standards, foster sustainable growth, and deliver greater value to all market participants,” he added.
The MoU establishes a formal platform for ongoing dialogue and joint initiatives, with working groups to be formed to implement the cooperation framework.
This alliance is expected to enhance market liquidity and product diversity, strengthen regulatory frameworks across the region, facilitate cross-border investment flows and promote technological innovation in market infrastructure, the PSX statement said.
Islamabad criticizes US export restrictions on Pakistani firms, calls them ‘politically motivated’
- The US imposed export restrictions on 70 companies from five countries, including 19 from Pakistan
- Pakistan welcomes US-brokered limited ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Thursday criticized the recent United States export restrictions on Pakistani companies, arguing they unfairly targeted the country’s commercial entities without any evidence.
The US Department of Commerce imposed export restrictions this week on 70 companies from Pakistan, Iran, China, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa, saying their “activities were contrary to US national security and foreign policy.”
According to the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the list includes 42 firms from China, 19 from Pakistan, four from the United Arab Emirates, three from South Africa and two from Iran.
Due to these restrictions, US suppliers will be prohibited from sending goods to the sanctioned entities without obtaining a special license.
“The recent imposition of export restrictions by the United States unfairly targets Pakistan’s commercial entities without any evidence whatsoever,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters during his weekly media briefing in Islamabad.
“Such biased and politically motivated actions are counterproductive to the objectives of global export controls and obstruct the legitimate access to technology for socio-economic development,” he added.
The spokesperson also commented on the outcome of Russia-Ukraine negotiations, saying Pakistan welcomed the recently agreed limited ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine prohibiting attacks on energy infrastructure and ensuring safe navigation in the Black Sea.
The US had been engaging in diplomatic efforts in Saudi Arabia to mediate between Ukraine and Russia, seeking a peaceful resolution to the three-year-long war through negotiations.
“We appreciate the active engagement of the US administration and its leadership in securing the agreement between Russia and Ukraine,” the spokesperson said, adding Pakistan remained optimistic that the new momentum generated by these initial steps would eventually lead to a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire.
Khan said Pakistan’s position on the Ukraine conflict has been consistent, as it enjoys friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine.
“We have always advocated dialogue and diplomacy, immediate cessation of hostilities, and peaceful resolution of this conflict,” he added.
Pakistan rejects US congressman’s bill seeking sanctions on army chief
- Calling it a single legislator’s initiative, foreign office says the bill is misaligned with the positive bilateral ties
- Congressman Joe Wilson sought sanction on the army chief this week for ‘undermining democracy’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Thursday dismissed a bill in the US Congress seeking to sanction the country’s powerful army chief, calling it a single legislator’s initiative that did not align with the positive relations between the two countries.
US Congressman Joe Wilson announced earlier this week on Tuesday he had introduced a bill demanding sanctions against General Asim Munir for “undermining democracy” and “persecuting” political opponents, including jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Wilson shared a report by the American news website, The Hill, on his social media account, which said the legislation called for sanctions on the army chief within 180 days under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Violators of the act can be subjected to denial of entry to the United States and ineligibility for US visas.
Responding to the development, Foreign Office Spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan said the initiative did not reflect the US administration’s position.
“We are aware of the bill being introduced in the House of Representatives,” he said. “This is an initiative of a single individual legislator. We believe that the timing and context of the bill does not align well with the current positive dynamics of Pakistan-US bilateral relations based on mutual respect, understanding and non-interference in each other’s affairs.”
He noted the bill would have to go through several committees in the House of Representatives and Senate before its passage.
“We hope that the US Congress will continue its supportive role in strengthening Pakistan-US ties and focus on avenues of mutual collaboration that benefit both our peoples and countries,” Khan continued.
“Pakistan remains committed to constitutionalism, rule of law, protection of human rights and freedom of expression because it considers democracy as a vehicle for prosperity and progress as a nation,” he added.
The spokesperson also said that Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi was currently visiting the US, where he had met with the chairman of the US Congressional Committee on Foreign Affairs, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on South Asia and Central Asia on the Foreign Affairs Committee and the co-chair of the Pakistan Caucus.
“During the talks, discussions focused on Pakistan-US bilateral cooperation and economic relations,” he said. “The special assistant briefed the US leadership on government policy, especially the economic priorities.”
Khan said that promoting bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of trade, economy and investment, was among the top priorities of the government.
“Regional and international issues were also discussed during these meetings,” he added.
