ISLAMABAD: The government hopes to expand the Makkah Route Initiative across Pakistan to facilitate Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, said an official statement released in Islamabad on Friday, adding that 40,000 people were expected to benefit from the facility this year.
The initiative allows pilgrims to fulfil all immigration requirements before departure at airports in their own country, saving them time upon arriving in the kingdom. Several Muslim countries have been availing the facility which was introduced at the Islamabad airport in recent years.
The expansion of the initiative to other Pakistani urban centers came up for discussion between the country’s interior minister Rana Sanaullah and Saudi ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malky earlier in the day.
“The two sides agreed to finalize the [Makkah Route Initiative] agreement and make it fully functional,” said the statement issued by the ministry after the meeting, adding: “The Saudi deputy interior minister will soon visit Pakistan to sign the agreement.”
The statement maintained the kingdom’s initiative would provide easy and hassle-free immigration facility to pilgrims.
“This project is being started from the Islamabad airport,” it added. “40,000 pilgrims will benefit from it this year.”
Speaking to the Saudi envoy, the Pakistani minister acknowledged the “historic, longstanding and fraternal relations” between the two countries.
“This facility will soon be introduced in other major cities so that more and more pilgrims can benefit from it,” he was also quoted as saying after the meeting.
The interior minister also appreciated the efforts of the Saudi ambassador to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries.
