ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s interim religious affairs minister Aneeq Ahmed traveled to Riyadh on Wednesday to discuss the expansion of Makkah Route Initiative with Saudi officials ahead of the Islamic Hajj pilgrimage next year, said an official at his ministry.
Pakistan has already received its quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the upcoming Hajj, prompting the ministry to begin its preparations in advance to facilitate people who plan to undertake their spiritual journey.
Ahmed, who embarked on a week-long visit to the kingdom at the outset of the week, was briefed about the arrangements by the country’s Hajj mission on Tuesday and interacted with companies providing various facilities to pilgrims.
“The minister reached Saudi Arabia on September 18 and will return to Islamabad on September 24,” Muhammad Umer Butt, the spokesperson of the religious affairs ministry, told Arab News.
He added that Ahmed had reached the Saudi capital city to hold separate meetings with the Hajj minister, Dr. Taufig bin Fawzan Al-Rabia, and general secretary of the Muslim World League, Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Issa.
“The minister will discuss with his Saudi counterpart the expansion of the Makkah Route Initiative to Karachi and Lahore along with Islamabad for next year’s Hajj,” he continued.
Saudi Arabia introduced the initiative in Pakistan along with four other countries to provide customs and immigration services to pilgrims at the point of departure to save them substantial time upon arriving in the kingdom.
According to official statistics, more than 26,000 Pakistani pilgrims benefited from the facility at the Islamabad airport this year.
Butt said the Pakistani minister had already met the representatives of catering and accommodation companies for next year’s Hajj, adding that he instructed his team to finalize the agreements as soon as possible to secure lodging facilities for pilgrims at prime locations.
“The Pakistani minister will arrive in Jeddah tomorrow where he will meet representatives of different Saudi companies and officials of the General Authority of Civil Aviation in relation to Hajj,” he added.
Makkah Route expansion top of the agenda as Pakistani minister visits Riyadh
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Makkah Route expansion top of the agenda as Pakistani minister visits Riyadh
- The country has received a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the next Hajj season, prompting it to make early arrangements
- The caretaker minister is on a week-long visit to the kingdom to meet Saudi officials and interact with Hajj companies
‘Fully stand with Bangladesh’: Pakistan PM backs decision to boycott India match
- Pakistan’s government have not allowed the national cricket team to play its World Cup match against India on Feb. 15
- Pakistan has accused India of influencing ICC decisions, criticized global cricket body for replacing Bangladesh in World Cup
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday backed his government’s decision to bar the national men’s cricket team from playing against India in the upcoming T20 World Cup tournament, reaffirming support for Bangladesh.
Pakistan’s government announced on social media platform X last week that it has allowed its national team to travel to Sri Lanka for the World Cup. However, it said the Green Shirts will not take the field against India on their scheduled match on Feb. 15.
Pakistan’s participation in the tournament was thrown into doubt after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for replacing Bangladesh with Scotland. The decision was taken after Bangladesh said it would not let its team travel to India out of security concerns.
During a meeting of the federal cabinet, Sharif highlighted that Pakistan has said that politics should be kept away from sports.
“We have taken this stand after careful consideration and in this regard, we should stand fully with Bangladesh,” Sharif said in televised remarks.
“And I believe this is a very reasonable decision.”
Pakistan has blamed India for influencing the ICC’s decisions. The global cricket governing body is currently led by Jay Shah, the head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Shah is the son of Indian Home Minister Amit Shah.
Pakistan’s boycott announcement has triggered media frenzy worldwide, with several Indian cricket experts and analysts criticizing Islamabad for the decision. An India-Pakistan cricket contest is by far the most lucrative and eagerly watched match of any ICC tournament.
The ICC has ensured that the two rivals and Asian cricket giants are always in the same group of any ICC event since 2012 to capitalize on the high-stakes game.
The two teams have played each other at neutral venues over the past several years, as bilateral cricket remains suspended between them since 2013 due to political tensions.
Those tensions have persisted since the two nuclear-armed nations engaged in the worst fighting between them since 1999 in May 2025, after India blamed Pakistan for an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed tourists.
Pakistan denied India’s allegations that it was involved in the attack, calling for a credible probe into the incident.
