Pakistan

Saudi Arabia restores Pakistan’s pre-COVID Hajj quota, ends age limit

Published

2 years ago

Farwa

Saudi Arabia restores Pakistan’s Hajj quota to pre-pandemic levels.
Age limit for Hajj pilgrims has been abolished by Riyadh.
Hajj Policy 2023 will be announced after approval of cabinet.

In a major development, Saudi Arabia restored Pakistan’s Hajj quota to pre-pandemic levels and lifted the upper age limit as the COVID-19 epidemic waned, confirmed Ministry for Religious Affairs on Monday.

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Mufti Abdul Shakoor received a draft of the annual Hajj agreement from the Saudi authorities, under which, Pakistan’s previous Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims has been restored and the age limit of 65 years has been abolished, according to the ministry.

The religious affairs minister is currently in Saudi Arabia to attend the four-day International Hajj Conference. During his visit, the minister called on his Saudi counterpart and other officials.

According to the ministry, this year Hajj applications are likely to be invited by the end of February. The minister will announce the Hajj Policy 2023 after the approval of the federal cabinet.

On the other hand, Saudi Arabia‘s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq al-Rabi’ah, has said that delegations from 19 countries including Pakistan, India and Iran signed Hajj agreements.

These agreements detail the number of pilgrims, their arrival and departure, and the services offered to them.

Turkey, Sudan, Yemen, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, and Bahrain are among the other signatories of the Hajj Agreement, said the Saudi minister.

Furthermore, a delegation including ministers from 12 countries met the minister, who then informed the delegations about the new facilities offered to Hajj pilgrims by the Saudi government.

Latest News

PTI and JUI (Sherani) decide to proceed by consensus.

Published

2 weeks ago

Farwa

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Sherani) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have agreed to proceed together.

Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, the leader of JUI (Sherani), met with Barrister Dr. Saif, the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Information Advisor.

The conference also included former senator Aslam Buledi and former federal minister Muhammad Ali Durrani.

The discussion focused on promoting reconciliation, political cooperation, and collective progress in the country. In addition, Barrister Dr. Saif read Fatiha and expressed sympathy for Maulana Sherani’s wife’s demise.

Barrister Saif recognized Maulana Sherani as a respected religious and political person, a senior member of parliament, and an expert in constitutional law during the meeting. He said that Maulana Sherani’s services are greatly valued by PTI founder Imran Khan and the party, and they hope he will play an active role in promoting trust, cooperation, and national reconciliation.

Maulana Sherani was invited to visit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by Barrister Saif on behalf of KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani emphasized the importance of reconciliation in guiding the nation away from conflict and proposed that Muhammad Ali Durrani be instrumental in promoting this process.

Business

SFD and Pakistan Sign Two Deals Totaling $1.61BLN

Published

4 weeks ago

Farwa

Two agreements totaling $1.61 billion have been inked by Pakistan and the Saudi Fund for Development to improve their bilateral economic cooperation.

Entertainment

‘Kashmir Banay Ga Pakistan’ is a new song teased by ISPR for Solidarity Day

Published

4 weeks ago

Farwa

A new anthem, “Kashmir Banay Ga Pakistan,” was issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Wednesday (tomorrow) in honor of Kashmir Solidarity Day.

Every year on February 5, Kashmir Solidarity Day is commemorated to show solidarity with the people of Indian-Occupied Kashmir.

Renowned musician Ahmed Jahanzeb sings the song, which sends a powerful message of solidarity and dedication to the liberation fighters of Held Kashmir.

Imran Raza wrote the words, while Irfan Saleem and Kamran Khan composed the music.

The song was composed especially to commemorate the momentous day and to reaffirm support for the courageous and tenacious people of Kashmir, who are fighting for their right to self-determination, as guaranteed by the documents of united nations