ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has launched a short message service (SMS) to help Hajj pilgrims verify the authenticity of private tour operators and protect against unauthorised service providers, ministry officials said on Monday.
With the new service, pilgrims can now send a text to ‘8331’ and get details about registered private Hajj tour operators, Imran Siddiqui, spokesperson for the religion ministry, told Arab News.
Only 798 private tour operators are authorised to send pilgrims for Hajj.
The ministry has also launched five mobile phone apps to guide pilgrims about locations in Mina and inform them about other Hajj-related details.
Last week, Saudi Arabia agreed in principle to provide e-visas to Pakistani Hajj pilgrims travelling to Mecca this year, an important milestone in ties between staunch allies Islamabad and Riyadh.
“This year Pakistani Hajj pilgrims will get e-visas,” Imran Siddique, a spokesman for the Ministry of Religious Affairs, had told Arab News, adding that the move would help travellers save a lot of time. “From this year, pilgrims can download their visas (papers) from our ministry's website and we can also send them visas through Whatsapp, if needed.”
Nearly 107,526 Pakistanis will perform Hajj on the government’s quota this year, while more than 76,000 will use services offered by private tour and Hajj operators. Hajj flights from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia will begin in the first week of July.
Pakistan launches text messaging service for Hajj pilgrims
Pakistan launches text messaging service for Hajj pilgrims
- Short message service will help Hajj travellers verify authenticity of private tour operators
- More than 184,000 Pakistanis expected to perform Hajj this year
Ancient winter festival in Pakistan’s northwestern Chitral valley underway
- Chowmos festival celebrates upcoming year with traditional dance, animal sacrifice, singing and feasting
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Department says police providing security to local and international tourists
ISLAMABAD: An ancient winter festival in Pakistan’s northwestern Chitral valley is underway, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) tourism department said on Wednesday, featuring local and foreign tourists, traditional rituals and festivities such as singing and dancing.
The Kalash are a group of about 4,000 people, possibly Pakistan’s smallest minority, who live in the mountains of the Hindu Kush, where they practice an ancient polytheistic faith.
Members of the tribe come together each year in December to celebrate the two-week Chawmos festival to mark the winter festival and the upcoming new year. The festival features various rituals, animal sacrifice, dance, songs and feasting, preserving the Kalash culture and attracting a number of tourists to KP each year.
“The religious festival of the Kalash tribe, Chitramas (Chawmos), is underway in the Kalash Valley,” the KP Tourism department said in a statement.
“The festival is being celebrated in all three Kalash valleys — Rumbur, Bumburet and Birir,” it added.
The provincial tourism department said people distribute fruits, vegetables and dry fruits as gifts to spread peace and harmony during the festival.
It said police personnel were facilitating tourists and providing them security to enjoy the festival.
