ISLAMABAD: Zia-ur-Rehman, the director of the Pakistan Hajj Mission in Madinah, has said the government was offering its citizens the ‘most cost-effective’ Hajj package among regional countries through its official scheme, state media reported on Thursday.
Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims this year, of which 63,805 people will perform the pilgrimage under the government scheme while the rest will use private tour operators. This year’s Hajj is expected to run from June 14-19.
“This [Pakistan] package is priced at 14,300 Saudi Riyals, which includes meals, whereas comparatively neighboring India’s package costs 15,000 Saudi Riyals without meals,” Rehman said in an interview with the APP news agency.
“This price difference highlights the efforts of the Pakistani government to make the Hajj pilgrimage more accessible and affordable for its citizens. The package duration is 40 days, and there is a minimum expense of 1,400 Riyals per pilgrim.”
Rehman said the Pakistan Hajj Mission had made “elaborate food arrangements” for intending pilgrims who would perform Hajj under the government scheme and were currently staying in Madinah.
Seven top catering companies operating in Madinah had been selected to provide three meals a day to the guests after a competitive bidding process which 29 companies took part in.
“The hiring process, initiated in November last year following approval from the federal cabinet, was completed in due course of time, ensuring quality food and hygiene standards at a rate of 35 Saudi Riyal per person,” Rehman said.
“Designated officials have been deployed in the kitchens of the catering companies to closely monitor the entire process, from storing meals to transporting food in refrigerated units for distribution to pilgrims at their residences, under close scrutiny.”
Pakistan’s religion ministry has confirmed that over 15,000 pilgrims from the country had already arrived in Saudi Arabia ahead of the Hajj pilgrimage since a Hajj flight operation started on May 9. The government has also set up two control rooms, one each in Makkah and Madinah, to facilitate pilgrims.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan vowed to pursue the masterminds behind a suicide attack that claimed the lives of five Chinese engineers earlier this year while reaffirming its commitment to the regional connectivity initiative launched by President Xi Jinping’s administration during Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s three-day visit to Beijing.
According to a statement issued by the foreign office of Pakistan on Thursday, Dar, who is also the foreign minister, began his trip to China on May 13 where he co-chaired the Fifth Round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue with his counterpart Wang Yi before concluding his visit.
During his stay in Beijing, the two sides discussed multiple global and regional challenges, including the second phase of the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The foreign office said both countries condemned the March 26 suicide attack on the Chinese workers who were on their way to the Dasu Hydropower Project in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
“In keeping with its ironclad friendship with China, the Pakistani side would hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice, take more effective security measures, and make all-out efforts to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan,” the statement said while providing details of the discussions between both countries.
Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Sharif, said last week the attack was planned in “terrorist sanctuaries” in neighboring Afghanistan while addressing a news conference.
His assertion came amid accusations from officials in Islamabad that the administration in Kabul was not doing enough to prevent groups like banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from launching cross-border attacks.
“The two sides reiterated their commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations with a ‘zero tolerance’ attitude, and agreed to further strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism and security through a comprehensive approach,” the foreign office continued.
Pakistan also agreed to work with China to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and forge an upgraded CPEC version by jointly building growth, livelihood, innovation and green corridors and aligning them with Pakistan’s development framework and priorities.
“The two sides agreed to accelerate progress on major connectivity projects including upgradation of ML-1 [railway infrastructure], the Gwadar Port, realignment of Karakoram Highway Phase II, strengthen cooperation in agriculture, industrial parks, mining, information technology and other fields according to local conditions, and enhance Pakistan’s capacity for sustainable development,” the foreign office informed.
“The two sides believe that the Khunjerab pass plays an important role in promoting bilateral trade and people-to-people exchanges, and agreed to speed up efforts to make sure that the Khunjerab Pass can function all year round,” it continued.
The two sides also agreed to strengthen communication and coordination over issues related to Afghanistan, calling for concerted efforts of the international community to help deal with the humanitarian situation in that country.
They agreed to play a positive and constructive role in helping Afghanistan achieve stable development and integrate into the international community.
Additionally, Pakistan and China expressed satisfaction at their expanding space cooperation and agreed to further build on it for a peaceful and mutually-beneficial exploration of space.
Earlier this month, Pakistan sent an imaging device in outer space as part of China’s Chang’e-6 lunar mission.