ISLAMABAD: Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki promised to deliver “good news” to the people of Pakistan regarding the resumption of Umrah pilgrimage during a meeting with the chairman of Pakistan’s moonsighting committee on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia imposed restrictions on Muslim nationals belonging to other countries since the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic, keeping them from performing Islamic rituals of Hajj and Umrah to prevent the spread of the disease.
According to a press release, the chairman of Pakistan’s moonsighting committee Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad told the Saudi envoy the people of Pakistan were “waiting impatiently” to perform the Islamic rituals once again.
In response, the Saudi diplomat said “the Pakistani nation will soon get the good news” regarding the matter.
Pakistan’s religious affairs minister Pir Noorul Haq Qadri also expressed hope earlier this month that pilgrims from across the world would be allowed to perform Hajj and Umrah since the coronavirus situation was gradually improving.
He also said the government was in contact with the Saudi authority on the issue
Saudi envoy promises ‘good news’ to Pakistan regarding resumption of Umrah pilgrimage
https://arab.news/wt7w4
Saudi envoy promises ‘good news’ to Pakistan regarding resumption of Umrah pilgrimage
- Pakistan’s religious affairs minister expressed hope earlier this month pilgrims would be allowed to perform Umrah and Hajj this year
- The restrictions were placed on pilgrims from different countries due to the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic
Pakistan’s Mahnoor Omer named among TIME’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026
- Omer moved a Pakistani court against the so-called ‘period tax’ in Sept. 2025 which has since sparked a national debate
- Taxes on sanitary pads in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to retail price, UNICEF says only around 12 percent women use such products
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani women’s rights activist Mahnoor Omer, who fought against taxes on menstrual products, has been named among the TIME magazine’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026.
Omer’s efforts have been recognized alongside 16 activists, artists, athletes and businesswomen in the TIME’s Women of the Year 2026 list, including Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Chloe Zhao.
Dissatisfied with the efforts to educate Pakistani girls about sexual violence, Omer founded the Noor Foundation at the age of 14 and held her own workshops with village girls about everything from climate change to menstruation, according to the TIME magazine.
Two years later, a conversation with a domestic worker about the price of pads made her realize that not everyone could afford these essentials. She moved a court against the so-called “period tax” in Sept. 2025 and the case has sparked a national debate on the subject, considered a taboo by many in Pakistan, since its first hearing late last year.
“A decade and one law degree after her interest in activism was sparked, Omer, now 25, is putting her passion and expertise to work in the name of gender equity,” TIME wrote about Omer on its website.
Taxes imposed on sanitary products in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to the retail price. UNICEF estimates just 12 percent of women in the country use commercially produced pads or tampons. The alternative, using cloth, risks health impacts including rashes and infections, and can make it impossible for girls to attend school while menstruating.
Omer’s suit, which awaits the government response, has sparked a national discussion. She says she spoke about menstruation to her father and male cousins, who thanked her for standing up for their daughters.
The 25-year-old, who is currently enrolled in a master’s degree in gender, peace, and security at the London School of Economics, sees this case as just the first of many.
“I’m not free until every woman is free,” she was quoted as saying by TIME. “I want to leave no stones unturned in terms of what I can do with the next few decades, as a lawyer for the women in my country and gender minorities in general.”
