ISLAMABAD: Religious scholars from all over Pakistan welcomed on Tuesday the Saudi government’s decision to allow Hajj 2020 with limited pilgrims.
“Saudi Arabia has chosen the safest option for Hajj this year,” Senator Prof. Sajid Mir, president of Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith (MJAH), told Arab News. “Owing to coronavirus pandemic, this is a very wise decision which has been taken by the Saudi government after taking into consideration all aspects related to the safety of the people.”
The Saudi ministry of Hajj announced on Monday that only a limited number of people, irrespective of nationality, who currently reside in the Kingdom would be allowed to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage this year.
Pakistan currently has a 2.5 million strong expat community living in Saudi Arabia.
Mir said that despite Hajj being a religious obligation, Islam emphasized greatly on saving human lives. “It is an excellent step to limit it to nationalities living in the Kingdom rather than completely calling it off,” he added.
Maulana Hanif Jalandhari, general secretary of the Wifaqul Madaris al Arabia Pakistan (WMAP), the country’s largest board of Deobandi madrasas, termed the decision to allow Hajj with limited gathering just what the time demanded.
“Saudi government’s decision regarding Hajj 2020 is the need of the hour. The safety of the pilgrims from coronavirus pandemic is extremely important and it is very welcoming that they (Saudi authorities) have allowed Muslims from all over the world who are living in the Kingdom to perform Hajj,” Jalandhari told Arab News.
Veteran Pakistani cleric and chairperson of the country’s moon sighting committee, Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rahman, said: “We respect their decision which they reached by keeping in mind the pilgrims’ safety.”
However, he added that “they (Saudi authorities) could have allowed limited number of people from other countries with negative Covid-19 test as a prerequisite. This would bring an opportunity for international pilgrims to perform Hajj.”
Earlier in March, Saudi Arabia had indefinitely suspended Umrah pilgrimage owing to the virus spread and asked the Muslim countries including Pakistan to put Hajj plans on hold.
Pakistan’s religious scholars hail Saudi decision of limiting Hajj pilgrims
https://arab.news/5j3ag
Pakistan’s religious scholars hail Saudi decision of limiting Hajj pilgrims
- Call the decision the “safest option” amid global pandemic
- Saudi Arabia barred foreign arrivals for Hajj this year
Pakistan military says ex-PM Khan’s narrative has become ‘threat to national security’
- Military spokesperson responds to Khan’s fresh criticism of Pakistan’s powerful army chief, whom he accuses of denying him basic rights
- Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry warns army will “come bare knuckle” if Khan and his party do not desist from attacking military leadership
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Friday that former prime minister Imran Khan’s narrative against the armed forces has become a “national security threat,” warning him and his party to keep the army out of political statements.
Chaudhry’s criticism comes in response to Khan’s latest statement, released by his account on social media platform X on Thursday, in which he blamed Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir for “the complete collapse of the constitution and rule of law in Pakistan.”
Khan, who was ousted via a parliamentary vote in April 2022, blames the country’s powerful army for colluding with his political rivals to keep him away from power. He blames the military and the incumbent government for keeping him in solitary confinement in a central prison in Rawalpindi. Pakistan’s military and the government have strongly rejected his claims.
“It may seem to you a bit strange coming from me this because that person [Khan] and the narrative he is pushing, it has become a national security threat,” Chaudhry told reporters at a news conference.
“And that is why it is very important that we come clear, without any ambiguity, without any doubt. We need to come clear and we need to say what needs to be said,” he added.
Throughout the press conference, Chaudhry kept referring to the former prime minister as a “mentally ill” person. He played video clips of Indian news channels and Afghanistan’s social media accounts promoting Khan’s statements against the military.
“Why would they not do it? Because sitting in your country, a mindset, a mentally ill person sitting here is saying these things against the military and its leadership,” he said.
The military spokesperson warned Khan and his party against criticizing the military. He added that while the military welcomes constructive criticism, it should be kept away from political statements.
“If someone for the sake of his own self, his delusional mindset and narcissistic thinking attacks this armed forces and its leadership, then we will also come bare knuckle,” he warned.
“There should be no doubt on that.”
Khan, who remains in prison on a slew of charges that he says are politically motivated, continues to be popular among the masses.
His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has frequently led rallies to demand his release from jail, including one in May 2023 and another in November 2024 that saw clashes with law enforcement personnel.
While the former prime minister continues to remain behind bars, rallies organized by the PTI still draw thousands of people across the country and his party still enjoys a sizable following on social media platforms.
