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‘Journey of light’: Pakistani biker group reaches UAE en route to Makkah for Umrah

Pakistani bikers travellng to Makkah to perform Umrah pose for a picture in Iran's Bam city on January 13, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Mukaram Tareen)
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Updated 17 January 2023
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‘Journey of light’: Pakistani biker group reaches UAE en route to Makkah for Umrah

  • Group of 25 Pakistani bikers left for Saudi Arabia from Lahore on January 6, will travel over 14,000km to reach Makkah
  • Gang will travel through Iran, UAE, Iraq, Jordan and Kuwait, and finally reach Saudi Arabia where it will spend 19 days
Updated 17 January 2023
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: A group of 25 Pakistani bikers has reached the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the way to Makkah to perform Umrah, the leader of the gang said on Monday, calling the motorcycle adventure a “journey of refulgence and enlightenment” undertaken to promote peace, friendship, and religious tourism.

The biker gang decided to take the trip after the Saudi government eased rules for Umrah pilgrims last year, extending the duration of visas for foreign pilgrims to three months and allowing them to use the permits to travel to cities other than just Makkah.

The group left for Saudi Arabia from Lahore on January 6 and will cover a distance of more than 14,000 kilometers to reach Islam’s holiest city. During the 60 day-long round-trip, the group will pass through Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Jordan and Kuwait, and finally reach Saudi Arabia where the bikers will spend 19 days.

“We were planning this trip to perform Umrah by traveling to Makkah from Lahore on bikes since 2019 but due to the coronavirus pandemic our plan could not materialize,” group leader Mukaram Tareen, who is also the chairman of the Cross Route Club that organized the trip, told Arab News in a telephone interview from Sharjah.




Pakistani bikers traveling to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah are pictured near the Pakistan-Iran border at Taftan, Pakistan, on January 10, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Mukaram Tareen)

After travel opened up last year, it took five months of planning to make the trip possible, Tareen said. The journey is self-financed and will cost about one million rupees per biker.

“We have three aims during this journey of refulgence and enlightenment,” he said. “Along with performing Umrah, we want to promote peace, friendship, and religious tourism between regional countries.”

Passing through friendly Muslim countries on bikes would promote a soft image of Pakistan, the team leader added: “We will also interact with people of these countries to remove misconceptions about Pakistan.”




The picture taken on January 6, 2023, shows Pakistani bikers posing for a photo in Pakistan's city of Lahore as they leave for Makkah, Saudi Arabia, to perform Umrah. ( Photo courtesy: Usman Qureshi from Punjab Tourism Department)

“We reached Sharjah, UAE, on Sunday and after spending a week in different Emirates including Sharjah, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi, we will enter Saudi Arabia on January 22 via the Al Bataha border,” Tareen said.




A group of Pakistani bikers are pictured as they enter Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates, on January 15, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Mukaram Tareen)

The group intends to visit tourist sites in the kingdom to promote tourism opportunities in Saudi Arabia, a main pillar of Saudi prime minister and crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman’s Vision 2030.

“We will visit Riyadh, Al-Rawdah, Taif, Makkah, Medina, Duba, Tabuk, and different places on the coastal highway,” Tareen added.

Another group member, Jahangir Khan from Gujranwala, said it had been his “dream” to travel to Makkah on a motorbike to perform Umrah.

“I have been part of this bikers club for the last seven years and it was always my dream to go on this Safar-e-Noor (journey of light), which is coming true now,” he told Arab News. “We will also visit different religious places on our route, especially in Saudi Arabia and Iraq.”

Topics: Pakistan Saudi Ties Umrah

Pakistan calls on India to restore Kashmir’s special status in OIC contact group meeting

Updated 12 sec ago
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Pakistan calls on India to restore Kashmir’s special status in OIC contact group meeting

  • Delegations from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other member states attend OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir meeting in Banjul
  • Member states call for early and peaceful resolution to Kashmir dispute along the lines of OIC’s agenda UN resolutions, says foreign ministry 
Updated 12 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stressed on India to release prisoners, lift curbs on political parties and restore the special status of the internationally disputed Jammu and Kashmir territory, the foreign ministry said on Monday, during the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) summit in The Gambia. 

These views were expressed by Dar as he led Pakistan’s delegation to a meeting of the OIC’s Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday in Banjul. The meeting reviewed the political and security environment in Jammu and Kashmir, and took stock of the “grim human rights situation” in the territory, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said. The meeting was attended by member states of the contact group such as Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Niger, Azerbaijan and officials of the OIC-Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission. 

Kashmir has long been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan, both of which claim all of the region but administer only parts of it. On Aug. 5 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi withdrew Indian-administered Kashmir’s autonomy in a move that was seen by analysts as a strategy to tighten his grip over the territory. The decision provoked outrage in Pakistan and the downgrading of diplomatic ties and suspension of bilateral trade between the two countries. 

“He [Dar] also stressed that India must release all the political prisoners, lift curbs on the outlawed political parties, revoke the illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019 and the subsequent steps aimed at demographic change and political engineering, and implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” MoFA said. 

Dar informed the group that India was “systematically denying the Kashmiri people their fundamental rights and freedoms,” adding that Indian authorities had created “an environment of fear and intimidation” in the disputed territory. 

The delegations from member countries stressed the importance of the resolution of the Kashmir dispute along the lines of the OIC’s agenda, the foreign ministry said. They expressed support for the legitimate struggle of Kashmiris for the realization of their right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, the ministry said. 

“They called for an early and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” MoFA said. 

The OIC has 57 member countries, making it the second largest intergovernmental organization after the United Nations. The OIC contact group on Jammu and Kashmir was established in 1994 to support the struggle of the people of Indian-administered Kashmir, including their right to self-determination, to voice the organization’s position, and coordinate joint actions on the dispute.

Dar is in Banjul to attend an OIC summit being held against a backdrop of widespread anger over Israel’s military actions in Gaza. The Jewish state has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians and caused massive destruction of hospitals, schools and residential neighborhoods in the densely populated area since Oct. 7.

The Pakistani deputy prime minister arrived in Gambia on Wednesday to present his country’s perspective on a wide range of issues, including the war in Gaza and the rights situation in Indian-administered Kashmir.
 

Topics: Pakistan PIA Azad Jammu and Kashmir Kashmir OIC Arab News Pakistan

Pakistan ‘high priority’ economic opportunity for us, Saudi top minister says in Islamabad

Updated 20 min 42 sec ago
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Pakistan ‘high priority’ economic opportunity for us, Saudi top minister says in Islamabad

  • 50-member Saudi delegation with representatives of 30 Saudi companies in Pakistan for investment conference
  • Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been working closely in recent weeks to finalize trade and investment deals
Updated 20 min 42 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is a “high-priority economic investment and business opportunity” for Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom’s Assistant Minister of Investment Ibrahim Al-Mubarak said on Monday, as a two-day Pak-Saudi investment conference kicked off in Islamabad.

A 50-member delegation led by Al-Mubarak arrived in Pakistan on Sunday, comprising some 30 Saudi companies from the fields of IT, telecoms, energy, aviation, construction, mining exploration, agriculture and human resource development.

“To the Saudi government and Saudi companies, Pakistan is considered a high-priority economic investment and business opportunity,” Al-Mubarak said as he addressed the investment summit. 

“We believe in the great potential of Pakistan’s economy, demographics and talent as well as location and natural resources.”

Al-Mubarak said this was his second visit to Pakistan in two weeks and many influential leaders from globally renowned Saudi companies were part of his delegation.

“Today, we want to connect you [Pakistan] all to Saudi companies who desire to continue building their international presence, for Saudi Arabia’s ambitions do not stop at our borders and we would like to see Pakistan as one of our leading international partners,” the Saudi official added. 

“So, this gathering provides a wonderful opportunity for them [Saudi companies] to develop a deeper understanding of the great opportunities available for investment in Pakistan and to learn about related regulations, requirements, and incentives.”

INVESTMENT PUSH

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been closely working in recent weeks to increase bilateral trade and investment deals, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last month reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to expedite an investment package of $5 billion.

The Saudi business delegation’s visit comes on the heels of one by Sharif to Riyadh from Apr. 27-30 to attend a special two-day meeting of the World Economic Forum. 

On the sidelines of the WEF conference, the Pakistani PM met and discussed bilateral investment and economic partnerships with the crown prince and the Saudi ministers of finance, industries, investment, energy, climate, and economy and planning, the adviser of the Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council and the presidents of the Saudi central bank and Islamic Development Bank.

This was Sharif’s second meeting with the crown prince in a month. Before that he also met him when he traveled to the Kingdom on April 6-8. The Saudi foreign minister was also in Pakistan last month, a trip during which Pakistan pitched projects worth at least $20 billion to Riyadh.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and cultural ties. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as a top source of remittances to the cash-strapped South Asian country. During the first half of the current financial year, bilateral trade between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia was recorded at $2.482 billion, with Pakistan’s exports of $262.58 million and Saudi exports of $2.219 billion.

Saudi Arabia has often come to Pakistan’s aid in the past, regularly providing it oil on deferred payments and offering direct financial support to help stabilize its economy and shore up forex reserves.

As things stand, Pakistan desperately needs to shore up its foreign reserves and is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new bailout deal, for which it needs to signal that it can continue to meet requirements for foreign financing which has been a key demand in previous loan packages. 

Last year Pakistan set up the Special Investment Facilitation Council, a body consisting of Pakistani civilian and military leaders and specially tasked to promote investment in Pakistan. The council is so far focusing on investments in the energy, agriculture, mining, information technology and aviation sectors and specifically targeting Gulf nations.

Topics: Pakistan Saudi Ties Saudi Arabia Pakistan

Pakistan Securities And Exchange Commission approves PIA restructuring

Updated 06 May 2024
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Pakistan Securities And Exchange Commission approves PIA restructuring

  • Pakistan’s national airline has accumulated hundreds of billions of rupees in arrears and losses over the years
  • Pakistan last year agreed to overhaul loss-making public entities in exchange for a financial bailout from IMF
Updated 06 May 2024
KHURSHID AHMED   

KARACHI: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has approved the restructuring scheme of the country’s national airline, the privatization ministry confirmed on Sunday, marking a significant milestone in the government’s endeavors to privatize the loss-making entity.

Pakistan has identified 25 public sector enterprises for privatization that have accumulated billions in losses, including the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), banks, hotels and power generation and distribution companies. Pakistan agreed in June 2023 to overhaul its loss-making state-owned enterprises (SOEs) as part of a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $3 billion bailout package. The government resolved to privatize PIA shortly after finalizing the IMF agreement. 

However, the country’s progress in privatization has been stalled for decades due to political inertia and various challenges, including legal, licensing and ownership issues. In March, the government created PIA Holding Company (Holdco) to expedite the national carrier’s privatization by managing the airline’s liabilities and assisting in its transfer to potential investors.

On May 4, the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) green-lighted PIA’s acquisition by Holdco, saying it would not have any material impact on the market. On Sunday, the privatization ministry said the SECP had agreed to the transfer of PIA’s non-core assets and liabilities to Holdco. 

“This order marks a significant milestone in the collaborative efforts of the Privatization Commission (PC), Finance Division, Aviation Ministry and Pakistan International Airlines to restructure the national carrier,” the ministry said. 

It said the SECP has directed the Pakistan Stock Exchange, the Central Depository Company and the National Clearing Company to ensure Holdco’s “smooth listing.” 

The PIA has accumulated hundreds of billions of rupees in arrears and losses over the years, forcing successive Pakistani governments to dole out billions of rupees from their budgets to keep the loss-making public entity afloat. 

The PIA’s woes were compounded after 2020 when the airline was already struggling financially while its flights were grounded due to the coronavirus pandemic. When the national airline resumed operations in May 2020, a domestic PIA flight crash in Karachi killed 97 out of 99 people on board, prompting an initial inquiry that pointed to a number of safety failures.

The inquiry sparked a disclosure from authorities that nearly a third of PIA’s pilots may have falsified their qualifications, prompting the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other regulators to ban PIA flights.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to privatize the airline and warned Pakistan’s bureaucracy that he would not tolerate delays in the process. Sharif has assured Pakistan’s business community several times that the process to privatize the national airline would be a transparent one. 

Topics: Pakistan PIA Arab News Pakistan

Pakistan thrash South Korea 4-0 in Azlan Shah Cup hockey clash

Updated 06 May 2024
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Pakistan thrash South Korea 4-0 in Azlan Shah Cup hockey clash

  • Pakistani players Abdul Hanan Shahid, Arshad Liaqat, Ghazanfar Ali and Sufiyan Khan score goals 
  • This is Pakistan’s second victory in the tournament after their win over hosts Malaysia on Saturday
Updated 06 May 2024
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s field hockey team beat South Korea 4-0 in their second match of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup this week, state-media reported on Monday, as the South Asian side continued their impressive run in the tournament.

The 30th edition of the prestigious field hockey tournament is being played in Ipoh, Malaysia from 4-11 May. The cup will be contested between six teams, namely Canada, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Korea. Pakistan’s national hockey team made a triumphant start to the tournament on Saturday, defeating hosts Malaysia by 5-4 in a thrilling match.

The green shirts continued their impressive form on Sunday, beating South Korea in what was a one-sided contest. 

“Pakistan in their second match beat South Korea by four goals to nil at Ipoh on Sunday,” the state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Monday. 

Pakistani players Abdul Hanan Shahid, Arshad Liaqat, Ghazanfar Ali and Sufiyan Khan scored goals to ensure the national team dominated the match. Pakistan’s defense did an impressive job to contain the Korean hockey team, thwarting their efforts to score a single goal. 

“Pakistan will play their third match against Japan in Ipoh, Malaysia tomorrow,” Radio Pakistan reported. “The match will start at 3:15 p.m.”

The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 will see a round-robin stage at first where all six participating teams will play against each other once, followed by positional playoffs.

The teams finishing in the bottom two places of the league stage will contest in a fifth-place classification match. Teams finishing in third and fourth place in the pool stage will compete for bronze, while the top two teams will play in the final for the title.

Topics: Pakistan vs South Korea Azlan Shah Cup Pakistan Arab News Pakistan

Pakistani journalists condemn Israel’s decision to ban Al Jazeera, demand ‘earliest restoration’

Updated 06 May 2024
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Pakistani journalists condemn Israel’s decision to ban Al Jazeera, demand ‘earliest restoration’

  • PM Netanyahu’s cabinet shut down network for as long as Gaza war continues, saying it threatened national security
  • Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists credits Al Jazeera for reporting “independently” on Israel’s war in Gaza
Updated 06 May 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s most prominent association of journalists strongly condemned Israel’s move to ban international news organization Al Jazeera on Sunday, describing it as a “brutal curb on press freedom,” urging journalist bodies around the world to raise their voices for the Qatar-based network. 

The statement comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet voted unanimously to close Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel. The decision came weeks after Israel’s parliament passed a law allowing the temporary closure of foreign broadcasters considered to be a threat to its national security as the months-long war in Gaza drags on.

Later on Sunday, Israeli police raided Al Jazeera’s premises in East Jerusalem while satellite and cable providers took the broadcaster off air. 

“Workers strongly condemn the Israeli decision of banning telecast of Al Jazeera TV and demand its earliest restoration,” the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) said in a press release. “The PFUJ-Workers terms the decision a brutal curb on press freedom and demand that Israeli govt should give right to every media organization to work freely.”

PFUJ credited Al Jazeera for reporting “independently” on Israel’s war in Gaza, calling on journalist bodies around the world to raise their voices for freedom of media and support the Doha-based news channel. 

 “If we do not discharge our duty of raising voice for Al Jazeera the other will use the practice to silent voices in their regions,” the statement concluded. 

Al Jazeera criticized Israel’s decision to ban its broadcast in a report, saying that it is one of the few international media outlets to remain in Gaza throughout the war, broadcasting “bloody scenes of air attacks and overcrowded hospitals, and accusing Israel of massacres.”

“The Network vehemently rejects the allegations presented by Israeli authorities suggesting professional media standards have been violated,” Al Jazeera said in a statement. “It reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the values embodied by its Code of Ethics.”

Israel’s move can heighten the Jewish state’s tensions with Qatar, which funds Al Jazeera, especially at a time when the Gulf country is playing a key role in mediating efforts to stop the war in Gaza. 

Tim Dawson, the deputy general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, told Al Jazeera Israel’s decision was a “retrograde and ridiculous decision.”

“Closing down media, closing down television stations is a sort of thing that despots do,” he said. 
 

Topics: Al Jazeera #israel Journalists Pakistan

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