ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed sorrow over the death of eight Pakistani Umrah pilgrims in a hotel fire in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, the Pakistani information minister said on Saturday, adding the premier has directed for best treatment to injured of the incident.
Pakistan’s foreign office confirmed late Friday that eight Pakistani pilgrims had died and six others were injured in the incident. It said the Pakistani mission in Jeddah was in contact with Saudi authorities to provide relief to the victims’ families.
“The prime minister has directed the religious affairs ministry to ensure the provision of best treatment to the injured and all-possible assistance to relatives of the deceased,” Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a statement.
The premier extended his condolences and sympathies to the bereaved relatives of the victims, she added.
Umrah is a non-obligatory, but important pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah, with a majority preferring to offer it during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Last year, around 200,000 pilgrims from Pakistan performed Umrah until October 4, 2022, since the beginning of the Umrah season on July 30, 2022. The was the second highest number of pilgrims after Indonesia.
