ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has requested Saudi Arabia to include Chinese vaccines to its list of approved COVID-19 shots for visitors traveling to the kingdom to perform Hajj and Umrah, foreign office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said on Saturday.
"Pakistan has taken up with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the issue of vaccines which are mandatory for travel to Saudi Arabia for visit, Umrah and Hajj," Chaudhri said in response to media queries on the issue. "We have proposed inclusion of some of the Chinese vaccines used in Pakistan in the list of vaccines approved by the Saudi authorities."
"The Ministry [of Foreign Affairs] is actively pursuing this matter with the Saudi side," he continued.
Saudi Arabia's new vaccine condition has raised questions for Pakistani nationals who intend to visit the kingdom for pilgrimage or other purposes.
According to media reports, people who have not been administered Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna or Johnson and Johnson shots may need to quarantine themselves for a substantial period on arriving in Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan has mostly administered Chinese vaccines to its citizens in a government-run immunization campaign that began last February.
The country only started using AstraZeneca to inoculate its citizens after receiving 1.2 million doses of the vaccine earlier this month under the World Health Organization's COVAX program for equitable distribution of COVID-19 shots among developing nations.
Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis visit Saudi Arabia annually, mostly for pilgrimage. The kingdom is also home to a large Pakistani diaspora community that makes the largest contribution to its homeland's incoming remittances every year.
Pakistan discusses with Saudi Arabia approval of Chinese vaccines for Hajj pilgrims
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Pakistan discusses with Saudi Arabia approval of Chinese vaccines for Hajj pilgrims
- Media reports suggest people may have to quarantine themselves upon arriving in the kingdom if they have not taken shots developed in the US or Western Europe
- Pakistan has mostly used Chinese vaccines to run its immunization campaign that began last February and has only now started administering AstraZeneca to its citizens
Pakistan traders seek waiver of port charges on Afghan cargo after re-export approval
- Afghan transit trade stalled after border closure following last year’s skirmishes between the two countries
- Government’s re-export approval allows stranded Afghan cargo to be shipped out without entering Pakistan
KARACHI: Pakistani traders and logistics operators are calling for waivers and rationalization of detention and demurrage charges incurred on Afghan transit cargo that remained stuck at ports after cross-border trade with Afghanistan came to a halt, according to a trade body statement issued on Saturday.
The appeal follows a government decision earlier this month allowing the re-export of stranded Afghan transit goods, after prolonged border closures prevented cargo from moving onward to Afghanistan, leaving containers immobilized at Pakistani seaports and border crossing points.
Afghan transit trade through Pakistan was disrupted following the closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border due to skirmishes between the two countries in October last year, causing congestion at ports and triggering escalating detention and demurrage charges. Industry representatives say the situation imposed a substantial financial burden on importers, clearing agents and transporters, even though the goods were never intended for Pakistan’s domestic market.
“[We have] been actively engaging with the Directorate General of Transit Trade (DGTT), South Asia Pakistan Terminals (SAPT), and other port and terminal operators, including through formal representations, to seek waivers and rationalization of detention and demurrage charges,” the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) said.
The chamber said it had taken up the matter of stranded Afghan transit trade goods with the Ministry of Commerce following a high-level meeting held on Jan. 10, after which the ministry issued a notification on Jan. 12 permitting the re-export of stranded cargo from the ports of Karachi and Gwadar and designated border crossing points.
PAJCCI said its coordinated engagement with government departments and terminal operators aims to ensure the re-export decision results in “practical relief on ground,” enabling the smooth clearance and movement of cargo while preventing further financial losses for the trade community.
Pakistan’s commerce ministry has not publicly commented on whether waivers on detention and demurrage charges will be granted.
