ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will ask Saudi Arabia to expand the road to Makkah project for all Pakistani Hajj pilgrims next year, Pir Noor-Ul-Haq Qadri, Federal Minister of Religious Affairs, said in an exclusive interview with Arab News in Islamabad on Friday.
Saudi Arabia’s Road to Makkah initiative was finalized during crown prince Muhammad Bin Salman’s maiden visit to Pakistan in February, and due to which, roughly 22,000 Pakistani pilgrims were cleared for immigration and customs prior to their Hajj departure during this year’s pilot project in Islamabad.
Federal Minister of Religious Affairs Pir Noor-Ul-Haq Qadri in an exclusive interview with Arab News at his office in Islamabad on November 29, 2019. (AN Photos)
“I will reach Jeddah on a five-day official visit on Tuesday to talk with Saudi authorities, and sign an agreement for Hajj 2020,” Qadri said.
“We have many things on our agenda, like an expansion of the road to Makkah project, Hajj quota, and e-visa facility,” he said and added that thousands of Hajj pilgrims had already benefited in Islamabad from the pilot program of the road to Makkah.
“This year, we are going to request the Saudi government to expand it to the whole country, otherwise at least Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta should be included,” the minister said. He added it would be the Saudis’ decision in the end based on costs related to the expensive project.
But Qadri was hopeful the project would at least be extended to all provincial capitals by next year and said the Saudis had delivered on almost all of Imran Khan’s requests to the Saudi crown prince.
“They have given us Road to Makkah, e-visa facility and increase in Hajj quota to 200,000 from 169,000...on special request of Prime minister Imran Khan to Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman,” he said.
Pakistan is the fifth country to get an e-visa facility with Saudi Arabia- only Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria and France were using it earlier, the minister said.
“This year, Pakistani pilgrims complained about food and transport especially during days of Hajj. Our Hajj mission has little role to play in this, so I will request Saudi authorities to hand over management of these days to our Hajj mission so we can manage food according to the taste of Pakistani pilgrims,” the minister said.
Though the Pakistan government is responsible for pre and post-Hajj arrangements for pilgrims on the government’s quota, during the days of Hajj in Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalfa, all things are currently managed by the Saudis, Qadri said.
He also said he would ask the Saudi government to relax rules that required all Hajj tour operators to be registered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Qadri said Vision 2030 under Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman had revolutionized Hajj and Umrah operations in a small amount of time, with the use of technological facilitation and helpful apps.
“The pilgrims have been provided with maximum facilities. He (crown prince MBS) is making Hajj very easy,” he said.
