ISLAMABAD: Two Hajj flights, one from Lahore and one from Islamabad, departed for Saudi Arabia on Thursday morning, a day after a Saudi delegation from Riyadh visited Islamabad International Airport to review arrangements for the annual pilgrimage.
“It’s the first time Road to Makkah project has been introduced in Pakistan. It’s a gift from King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman to help and assist our (Pakistani) brothers and Hajj pilgrims from Pakistan,” Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, who is Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Pakistan, told Arab News on Wednesday after reviewing Hajj arrangements with the Saudi delegation.
He said the Hajj quota for Pakistanis, enhanced to 200,000 by the Saudi government in April, could be further increased.
On Friday, Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled to formally inaugurate the Road to Makkah project in Pakistan, the PM’s adviser Arbab Shehzad said.
A team of 64 Saudi officials arrived in Islamabad on Sunday and installed an immigration system at the Islamabad International Airport to facilitate Pakistani pilgrims flying to Makkah and Madinah for Hajj this year. The immigration facility, staffed by Saudi officers, has been set up separately from regular immigration counters and is expected to be introduced in other airports of the country also.
Figures from Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs show over 21,000 Hajj pilgrims will avail the facility during this Hajj season. Also, once Pakistani Hajj pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia, they will no longer face long immigration lines or have to lug travel bags, which Saudi officials said would be delivered straight to their points of stay.
Road to Makkah project paves way for seamless Hajj operations in Pakistan
Road to Makkah project paves way for seamless Hajj operations in Pakistan
- Initiative is ‘gift from King Salman and Crown Prince,’ Saudi envoy Al-Malki says
- 64-member Saudi team installs new immigration system to facilitate pilgrims flying from Islamabad
Pakistan’s Sharif hails Trump as ‘man of peace’ at inaugural Gaza board meeting
- Shehbaz Sharif says calls for end to Israeli ceasefire violations in Gaza and ‘credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination’
- Islamabad hopes involvement in Gaza peace board will allow it to shape post-war arrangements while protecting Palestinian rights
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday hailed President Donald Trump as a “man of peace” as he attended an inaugural meeting of the Gaza Board of Peace in Washington.
The board, formed under a UN Security Council resolution following a fragile October 2025 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, is intended to oversee international stabilization and rebuilding efforts in Gaza after Israeli war.
Pakistan’s premier called for an end to ceasefire violations by Israel to achieve long-lasting peace and to advance reconstruction efforts in Gaza, praising Trump for his efforts to bring about peace in various parts of the world.
“Your timely and very effective intervention to achieve ceasefire between India and Pakistan potentially averted loss of tens of millions of people,” Sharif said, addressing Trump at the meeting.
“You have truly proved to be a man of peace and let me say Mr. president you are truly savior of South Asia.”
In the past, Sharif has gained favor with Trump for publicly praising him for helping broker a ceasefire between Pakistan and India following their intense, four-day military conflict in May, while Islamabad also formally endorsed the US president for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Speaking at the meeting, the Pakistan premier said the people of Palestine must exercise “full control of their land and future” in line with the UN Security Council’s resolutions.
“The people of Palestine have long endured illegal occupation and immense suffering. And to achieve long lasting peace, it is very important that ceasefire violations must end to preserve lives and advance reconstruction efforts,” he said.
“The people of Palestine must exercise full control of the land and their future, in line with UN Security Council resolutions. Mr. president, we must work together toward a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination through the establishment of an independent, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine, in line with the relevant resolutions.”
Earlier, Trump also spoke at the gathering and praised Sharif as well as Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
Pakistan formally joined the Board of Peace last month after Sharif signed its charter alongside other world leaders in Davos. The forum includes an eight-nation Muslim bloc comprising Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Islamabad hopes involvement in the forum will allow it to shape post-war governance arrangements while protecting Palestinian political rights.
Separately, Sharif met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who appreciated Pakistan’s ongoing support of Trump’s peace plan for Gaza and for joining the Board of Peace.
“In our meeting, we discussed the importance of our strategic relationship on critical minerals development and counterterrorism,” Rubio said on X.
Sharif also held informal meetings in Washington with global leaders who arrived to attend the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace.
The prime minister met informally with the Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
“Important global and regional matters were discussed during the meetings,” Sharif’s office said.
