ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry on Saturday applauded Saudi Arabia for using advanced technology to improve the pilgrimage experience for Muslims, the state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency reported, after the kingdom announced its plan to test “flying taxis and drones” during this Hajj season.
Saudi Minister for Transport and Logistics Saleh Al-Jasser spoke earlier this week about intense competition among transportation companies in the kingdom to provide the best traveling means to people. Previously, he also said the flying taxis and drones would be tested during Hajj to provide pilgrims with maximum comfort.
According to some reports, the Saudi Airlines was also considering plans to operate flying taxis to ferry Hajj pilgrims from the Jeddah airport to their hotels in Makkah.
“Saudi Arabia’s commitment to modernizing the pilgrimage experience through innovative technology demonstrates their dedication to ensuring pilgrims’ comfort and convenience,” Muhammad Umar, the spokesperson for Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry, said.
Umar, who has remained closely involved in his country’s Hajj operations since 2009, also mentioned how the Saudi authorities had introduced various mobile applications to help pilgrims.
“I have witnessed firsthand the dedication and efforts of the Saudi government in facilitating the sacred journey of millions of pilgrims,” he added.
He also highlighted significant improvements in crowd management and the provision of enhanced facilities to pilgrims by Saudi authorities over the years.
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.
Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims this year, according to the Pakistani religious affairs ministry. Of them, 63,805 pilgrims will be performing the pilgrimage under the government scheme, while the rest would be accommodated by private tour operators.
Pakistan praises Saudi Arabia’s use of technology to enhance pilgrim experience with ‘flying taxis’
https://arab.news/98svq
Pakistan praises Saudi Arabia’s use of technology to enhance pilgrim experience with ‘flying taxis’
- Saudi authorities have announced plans to test ‘flying taxis and drones’ during this year’s Hajj season
- Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry says the kingdom has consistently increased its use of technology
Doctors treat hundreds of victims of heatstroke in Pakistan after heat wave hits the country
- Authorities want people to stay indoors and avoid travel, though laborers say they don’t have a choice
- State-run ambulances are now carrying bottled water, ice to provide emergency heatstroke treatment
ISLAMABAD: Doctors treated hundreds of victims of heatstroke at hospitals across Pakistan on Thursday after an intense heat wave sent temperatures above normal levels due to climate change, officials said.
Temperatures soared as high as 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit) the previous day in Mohenjo Daro. The city, known for its archaeological sites, is in southern Sindh province, which was badly hit by climate-induced monsoon rains and devastating floods in 2022. The heat wave is forecast to continue for at least a week.
Authorities have urged people to stay indoors, hydrate and avoid unnecessary travel. But laborers say they don’t have a choice because they need to work to feed their families.
“Pakistan is the fifth most vulnerable country to the impact of climate change. We have witnessed above normal rains, floods,” Rubina Khursheed Alam, the prime minister’s coordinator on climate, said at a news conference in the capital, Islamabad.
Doctors say they treated hundreds of patients in the eastern city of Lahore, while scores of people were brought to hospitals in Hyderabad, Larkana and Jacobabad districts in the southern Sindh province.
“The situation has been getting worse since yesterday, when people affected by heat started coming to hospitals in the Punjab province,” said Ghulam Farid, a senior health official. Pakistan has set up emergency response centers at hospitals to treat patients affected by the heat.
The state-run ambulance service is now carrying bottled water and ice to provide emergency treatment to victims of the heat, health officials said.
Heatstroke is a serious illness that occurs when one’s body temperature rises too quickly, potentially causing some to fall unconscious. Severe heatstroke can cause disability or death.
This year, Pakistan recorded its wettest April since 1961, with more than double the usual monthly rainfall. Last month’s heavy rains killed scores of people while destroyed property and farmland.
Daytime temperatures are soaring 8 degrees Celsius (46 degrees Fahrenheit) above May’s temperatures, raising fears of flooding in the northwest because of glacial melting.
The 2022 floods caused extensive damage in Sindh and Baluchistan provinces, as 1,739 people were killed across the country.
Currently, Pakistan’s southwest and northwestern areas are also experiencing the heat wave.
Authorities have shut schools for a week in Punjab. In the city of Lahore people were seen swimming in the roadside canals. Pakistan says despite contributing less than 1 percent to carbon emissions, it is bearing the brunt of global climate disasters.
Alam said recent erratic changes in weather patterns were the result of man-made climate change.
US, Sindh province launch $9 million initiative to combat tuberculosis in Pakistan
- TB cases have risen in Pakistan by 42.5 percent in last three years with 47,000 people dying of the illness in 2023
- TB remains world’s leading infectious disease killer, Pakistan ranks fifth among high TB burden countries
KARACHI: US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome and Sindh Minister for Health and Population Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho launched a collaborative initiative on Thursday aimed at addressing tuberculosis (TB), a significant health challenge in Pakistan.
TB cases have risen in Pakistan by 42.5 percent in the last three years with 47,000 people dying of the illness in 2023, according to official data, undermining the government’s plans to stamp out the disease by 2035 in the face of inadequate resources for screening and treatment.
Despite being preventable and treatable, TB remains the world’s leading infectious disease killer, sickening 10.6 million people and taking 1.3 million lives annually. Pakistan ranks fifth among high TB burden countries.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) leads the US government’s global TB efforts, working with partners around the world including Pakistan, prioritizing local community involvement and recognizing its critical role in ensuring sustainable and effective outcomes.
“Funded by USAID, the newly launched program, named the Tuberculosis Local Organization Network (TB-LON), is an investment of $9 million over five years,” the US embassy said in a statement.
“Its primary goal is to provide expert guidance and resources for Pakistan to effectively tackle TB. Through direct engagement with affected communities and individuals, the program will tailor solutions to meet specific needs. TB-LON will treat more TB cases in Sindh and significantly reduce the number of people affected by the disease.”
“Tuberculosis is not just a disease affecting millions in Pakistan; it’s an illness that disrupts lives, livelihoods, and communities,” Blome was quoted in the statemet as saying.
“Pakistan ranks fifth among countries with the highest rate of TB, but I am proud to say, we are changing that with this groundbreaking $9 million initiative that will provide expert guidance and resources to help eradicate TB, exemplifying our constant commitment to the resilient people of Sindh.”
Dr. Pechuho expressed appreciation for the ongoing support from the US government and reaffirmed the Sindh government’s commitment to enhancing health care services.
“We are confident that our joint efforts in addressing critical health challenges will bring a positive change in the lives of people of Sindh,” she added, emphasizing the importance of joint efforts in addressing critical health challenges.
In Pakistan, TB cases registered an increase from 272,990 in 2020 to 474,981 in 2023, with a treatment success rate of more than 90 percent, according to official data. The disease killed 48,000 people in 2021, 46,000 in 2022, and 47,000 people in 2023. Currently, there are a total of 608,000 TB cases registered with the National TB Control Program, according to data collected by Arab News in April this year.
Pakistan PM extends greetings to Buddhists on Vesak Day, calls for celebration of ‘shared heritage’
- Pakistan does not have a significant Buddhist population, though it is home to important centers of Buddhism
- Vesak Day celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the founder of the Buddhist faith, Gautama Buddha
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday felicitated the global Buddhist community as its members observe Vesak Day, which celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha, the founder of their faith.
Vesak Day is among the most sacred days in the Buddhist calendar, with its observance varying among different Buddhist traditions and cultures but generally falling on the full moon day of the ancient lunar month of Vesakha, which occurs in May or early June on the Gregorian calendar.
Although Pakistan does not have a significant Buddhist population, several parts of the country were historically important centers of Buddhism during the Gandhara period, from around the 1st century BCE to the 7th century CE.
The Pakistani government has sought to develop religious tourism in these areas, mainly concentrated in today’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Punjab regions, and has regularly hosted Buddhist pilgrims and religious leaders in recent years.
“On this Vesakh Day, we extend warm wishes to our Buddhist friends worldwide,” the prime minister said in a social media post. “May this day bring peace, prosperity, and harmony to all.”
“Let’s celebrate our shared heritage and continue working toward mutual respect and understanding,” he added.
Pakistan has taken several initiatives aimed at improving its international image by enhancing its treatment of religious minorities and promoting religious tourism. One prominent example is the Kartarpur Corridor, inaugurated in November 2019, which provides visa-free access for Sikh pilgrims from India to visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan.
The site is highly significant in Sikhism as it is where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, spent the last years of his life.
Despite its efforts, however, the country continues to face challenges, including occasional mob violence and discrimination against minorities, highlighting the ongoing struggle to ensure consistent protection and enforcement of minority rights.
Pakistani laborers sweat it out in sizzling heat wave
- Met office has forecast heat wave conditions across the country throughout the week
- Disaster Management Authority has asked public to stay indoors, take precautions
LAHORE: Pakistan continued to sizzle this week after the Met office forecast heat wave conditions across the country, with laborers at a construction site in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore speaking about the challenges of working in the “intense” heat.
The Met Office has predicted high temperatures throughout the week, followed by dust and thunderstorms over the weekend. The governments of Sindh and Punjab provinces have announced closure of schools for a week.
“We do construction work but the heat is so intense that after working for 10 minutes we cannot carry on any more, so we come and sit in the shade for a while,” laborer Mohammad Iqbal said as he took a break from construction work earlier this week.
“What can we do? We have to work for our children. Inflation is so high. If we don’t work what will we eat? How will we feed our children?“
Muslim Hussain said a more flexible work schedule was helping to beat the heat — to some degree.
“Since it’s very hot, we come to work an hour earlier in the morning and get off an hour early,” he said. “We get a couple of hours off during the day. This is the way we are continuing our work.”
The Disaster Management Authority (DMA) has said the heat wave is expected to last for at least 10 days and asked the public to take precautionary measures.
“To fight the heat, I soak this cloth and put it on my head. Sometimes I drink water. Sometimes I sit in the shade for a while and relax,” Shehbaz Khan said.
“We come for work early in the morning.”
But the heat also follows the workers home.
“We don’t get enough sleep after work because when we go home, there is load shedding [power cuts],” Mohammad Irshad said.
“Sometimes we go and sleep on the roof, but it is hot there too. And the mosquitoes keep biting us. The load shedding starts around midnight when it’s time for us to sleep, so we cannot get enough sleep.”
Over 31,000 Pakistani pilgrims in Saudi Arabia as special Hajj flight operation continues
- Pakistan has so far operated 126 flights that have taken pilgrims to Madinah, with 12 more flights expected today
- The country will start transporting pilgrims directly to Jeddah, about an hour’s drive from Makkah, from tomorrow
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs announced on Thursday 31,057 Hajj pilgrims benefiting from the government scheme have reached Saudi Arabia since the launch of its special flight operation on May 9, with an additional 2,450 pilgrims scheduled to arrive in Madinah later in the day on 12 flights.
The country has so far operated 126 Hajj flights that have taken the pilgrims to the holy city of Madinah to spend the first few days in the kingdom before being transported to Makkah to perform Hajj rituals. However, the country will start direct Hajj flights to Jeddah – about an hour’s drive from Makkah – starting tomorrow.
Over 12,000 Pakistani pilgrims, who have completed their stay in Madinah, have already been driven to Makkah, with the ministry announcing the Aziziyah and Batha Quraish neighborhoods are beginning to bustle with them.
“Through 126 Hajj flights, 31,057 government-sponsored pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia,” the ministry said in its statement. “Today, an additional 2,450 pilgrims will reach Madinah through 12 flights. More than 2,000 pilgrims under the private scheme have also arrived in the kingdom.”
The statement also informed the ministry had engaged 156 people to provide medical facilities pilgrims while 336 were responsible for arranging transport, accommodation and food.
It added the officials in the main control office in Makkah were also providing guidance and assistance to the pilgrims through the Pakistan Hajj cellphone app.
Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims, of which 63,805 people will perform the pilgrimage under the government scheme, while the rest will benefit from private tour operators.
This year’s pilgrimage is expected to run from June 14 till June 19.
