ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who also serves as foreign minister, said on Friday Saudi Arabia had granted special permission for an additional 10,000 Pakistani nationals to perform Hajj this year, following his recent phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
Saudi authorities allocate fixed Hajj quotas to Muslim-majority countries to manage the annual pilgrimage, which draws over two million worshippers from around the world to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.
Pakistan has been allotted a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2025. According to Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, around 90,000 of them are expected to perform the pilgrimage under the government scheme.
“Grateful to my Dear Brother and Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HH Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al-Saud @FaisalbinFarhan for arranging special permission for additional 10,000 Pakistanis to perform Hajj this year, following my telephonic conversation with him on 9th April 2025,” Dar said in a post on social media.

Pakistani authorities have been urging pilgrims to respect Saudi laws and customs during their stay in the Kingdom in the mandatory Hajj training workshops organized ahead of departure.
The country will begin its Hajj operations on April 29 when the first government-arranged flight will carry pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
Hajj rituals are expected to take place between June 4 and June 9 this year, depending on the sighting of the moon.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday concluded what he called a “monumental” two-day visit to Belarus, during which both countries signed a series of agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) aimed at boosting cooperation in defense, commerce, environmental protection and other key sectors.

Sharif held talks with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko in Minsk to review bilateral ties, as delegation-level talks were also held between the two sides encompassing discussions on bilateral cooperation as well as regional and international issues.

According to state media, Pakistan and Belarus signed a cooperation accord between their interior ministries along with a roadmap for military-technical collaboration between 2025 and 2027.

Agreements were also inked on defense cooperation, environmental protection, postal services, trade development, business support and coordination between trade bodies, the Associated Press of Pakistan said.

“A monumental day in Pakistan-Belarus ties,” Sharif said in a post on social media while sharing details of his visit.

“Highlights of our talks included the agreement to send over 150,000 highly skilled Pakistani workers to contribute to nation-building efforts in Belarus; enhanced cooperation in agriculture and food security; and potential joint ventures in the manufacturing of electric buses and agricultural machinery — steps that will help transform our enduring bond of friendship into a lasting partnership.”

Pakistan has in recent months intensified efforts to expand economic cooperation with a number of countries in and around the region, aiming to leverage its location as a transit hub for trade and earn foreign exchange.

Addressing a ceremony in Minsk, Sharif said Belarus was a leader in equipment manufacturing for the mining sector and Pakistan stood to gain from closer industrial cooperation.

“There is no reason why we shouldn’t benefit from your experience,” he continued, pointing to Pakistan’s vast mineral resources.

He also emphasized the value of establishing a direct air link between the two countries and thanked Lukashenko for his willingness to welcome skilled Pakistani labor.

Sharif also spoke of strengthening Pakistan’s agriculture sector with mutual cooperation, saying 65 percent of the country’s population lived in rural areas.

“We need your expertise,” he said. “We need to have joint ventures between Belarus and Pakistani companies to manufacture agricultural equipment in Pakistan so we can offer to the farmers at very economical rates, both companies from Belarus and Pakistan, they will have win-win situation.”

In recent years, trade between Belarus and Pakistan has ranged from $50 to 65 million annually, though recent official visits have raised hopes for increased commercial exchange.

Later, Sharif met with Belarusian parliamentary leaders and agreed to deepen inter-legislative cooperation.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has concluded his two-day official visit to Belarus and left for home,” the Government of Pakistan said in a social media post toward the end of the day. “He was seen off at Minsk International Airport by Prime Minister Alexander Turchin, Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov and officials of the Pakistani embassy.”