LAHORE: Pakistani film and television actor, Hamza Ali Abbasi, applauded Saudi authorities for their flawless management of Hajj pilgrimage involving more than two million people.
Abbasi, who is currently in Saudi Arabia to perform the annual Muslim ritual, said in a video released by the Kingdom’s Center for International Communication on Monday that he was stunned by the sheer magnitude of the event.
“You can’t help but imagine what kind of logistical nightmare it would be,” he smiled, “but it goes very smoothly … It goes so seamlessly that you don’t realize what kind of a mammoth effort goes behind it.”
Abbasi noted that he was pleasantly surprised by the degree of “inclusiveness” during Hajj, adding that he had seen “people from literally every country on the face of this planet, united under this one creed that there is only one God.”
The Pakistani actor is not just a known face in his own country but has also developed significant fan following in the Kingdom after his film “Parwaaz Hai Junoon” was commercially released in Saudi Arabia last year. Spotting him in the crowd in his bright white ihram, many fellow pilgrims requested to take pictures with him.
Abbasi is also among the 200,000 Pakistani pilgrims who decided to undertake their spiritual journey to Islam’s holiest cities of Makkah and Madinah this year. In the video, he urged Muslims everywhere to at least “come here once.”
“You cannot begin to imagine the [spiritual] experience,” he said. “You have to be here in personal to experience each and every bit of [this journey].”
Pakistan’s Hamza Ali Abbasi praises Saudi Arabia for smooth management of Hajj
Pakistan’s Hamza Ali Abbasi praises Saudi Arabia for smooth management of Hajj
- Currently in the Kingdom to perform his pilgrimage, Abbasi says he is stunned by the scale of the religious ritual
- In a video released by the Saudi Center for International Communication, he urges all Muslims to undertake the spiritual journey at least once
Three militants killed as police repel assault in northwest Pakistan
- Police say nine militants injured, officer lightly wounded in Bannu clash
- The incident was followed by coordinated assaults on two police stations
PESHAWAR: Police in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province killed three militants after repelling an overnight assault on a post in Bannu district, an official said on Wednesday, with fresh attacks reported hours later in what authorities described as coordinated retaliation.
Bannu, a volatile district near Afghanistan, has frequently witnessed militant activity. KP has seen a surge in violence in recent years, with groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) repeatedly targeting police checkpoints, security forces and government installations.
Militants launched a heavy attack on the Khunia Khel police post during the night, according to Aamir Khan, spokesman for the Regional Police Officer in the district, trying to seize the facility. However, law enforcement personnel stationed there fought them off.
“The officers displayed exceptional valor and professionalism, putting up a fierce resistance against the terrorists and forcing them to retreat,” he told Arab News over the phone.
Khan said three militants were killed and nine others injured in the clash, while one police officer sustained minor injuries.
Police were working to establish the identities of the slain attackers in the remote region, he continued, adding that one of the militants had been identified as commander Umar Azam, also known as Khazmati, while another was identified as Shahidullah.
The identity of the third militant was still being determined.
Khan said militants later launched coordinated attacks on the Ahmadzai Police Station and the Fateh Khel police post in an apparent attempt to avenge the deaths of their associates.
Security personnel at both locations repelled the assaults, forcing the attackers to retreat, he added.
The violence comes amid broader concerns about militant groups operating from Afghanistan.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban authorities of allowing militant groups to operate from their territory, a charge Kabul denies.
The issue has strained ties between the two neighbors and led to major border clashes last year.
