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
At least 16 dead after Karachi building collapses in suspected gas blast
- Four children and seven women among the dead, 13 people injured
- Incident follows recent Gul Plaza fire, highlighting urban safety concerns
KARACHI: At least 16 people were killed and 13 injured on Thursday when a residential building collapsed after a suspected gas explosion in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi, rescue authorities said.
Deadly accidents linked to gas leaks and unsafe infrastructure are frequent in Karachi’s crowded low-income neighborhoods, where households commonly rely on gas cylinders and informal connections with limited safety enforcement. The collapse comes weeks after a major fire at the city’s Gul Plaza shopping mall killed over 70 people and underscored concerns about building safety and regulatory oversight.
The latest incident occurred in the densely populated Soldier Bazaar area, according to a Rescue 1122 Sindh spokesperson. The dead included four children, seven women and five men, while the injured comprised five children, three women and five men.
“During a timely and professional operation, Rescue 1122 pulled 13 injured people from under the rubble and recovered 16 bodies,” Rescue 1122 Sindh spokesperson Hassan Khan said in a statement.
“Those injured in the incident were pulled from the debris and provided immediate medical assistance.”
He said urban search-and-rescue teams, firefighters and disaster response vehicles were dispatched to the site, with victims transported to nearby hospitals.
“All injured were provided first aid by Rescue 1122 ambulances at the scene before being shifted to nearby hospitals, while the rescue operation by Rescue 1122 (Sindh) was still under way,” the spokesperson added.
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon directed authorities to ensure proper medical treatment for the injured.
“He also urged citizens to exercise caution in the use of gas and to immediately inform the relevant authorities in case of any suspected leakage,” the provincial government said in a statement.
Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, has repeatedly witnessed building collapses and fires linked to weak enforcement of construction rules, aging infrastructure and unsafe energy practices.
