ISLAMABAD: A delegation of Saudi officials will arrive in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Feb. 26 to review direct immigration arrangements for Hajj pilgrims at the city’s Jinnah International Airport, according to a notification by Pakistan’s religion ministry this month.
The Makkah Route Initiative is part of Saudi Arabia’s Guests of God Service Program, which King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud inaugurated in 2019 under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to diversify the economy. Under the scheme, Hajj pilgrims go through immigration facilities at their respective countries’ airports.
Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry said last year it planned to expand the Makkah Route Initiative to airports in cities other than Islamabad as well, notably Karachi.
“A Saudi delegation for upscaling of Route to Makkah project will be arriving on 26-02-2024 (Monday) at the Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, in order to have a survey for area to be allocated at the airport and to meet all relevant authorities at the airport,” a letter by the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) dated Feb. 14 said.
The notification said the delegation would meet officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Pakistan Customs, Airport Security Force (ASF), Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and Immigration department in Karachi.
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, will accompany the delegation during their visit to the airport, the notification said.
The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage that has been in practice for over 1,400 years. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, and requires every adult Muslim to undertake a journey to the holy Islamic sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime (if they are financially and physically able). This year’s pilgrimage is expected to run from June 14 till June 19.
Saudi Arabia last year restored Pakistan’s pre-pandemic Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims and abolished the upper age limit of 65 years. More than 81,000 Pakistani pilgrims performed Hajj under the government scheme in 2023, while the rest used private tour operators.
Saudi officials to review Makkah Route Initiative arrangements at Karachi airport next week
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Saudi officials to review Makkah Route Initiative arrangements at Karachi airport next week
- Pakistan’s religion ministry announced last year it would extend Makkah Route Initiative to cities other than Islamabad
- Saudi officials to arrive in Karachi on Feb. 26 to inspect Makkah Route Initiative arrangements, says aviation authority
IMF hails Pakistan privatization drive, calls PIA sale a ‘milestone’
- Fund backs sale of national airline as key step in divesting loss-making state firms
- IMF has long urged Islamabad to reduce fiscal burden posed by state-owned entities
KARACHI: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Saturday welcomed Pakistan’s privatization efforts, describing the sale of the country’s national airline to a private consortium last month as a milestone that could help advance the divestment of loss-making state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
The comments follow the government’s sale of a 75 percent stake in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to a consortium led by the Arif Habib Group for Rs 135 billion ($486 million) after several rounds of bidding in a competitive process, marking Islamabad’s second attempt to privatize the carrier after a failed effort a year earlier.
Between the two privatization attempts, PIA resumed flight operations to several international destinations after aviation authorities in the European Union and Britain lifted restrictions nearly five years after the airline was grounded following a deadly Airbus A320 crash in Karachi in 2020 that killed 97 people.
“We welcome the authorities’ privatization efforts and the completion of the PIA privatization process, which was a commitment under the EFF,” Mahir Binici, the IMF’s resident representative in Pakistan, said in response to an Arab News query, referring to the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility.
“This privatization represents a milestone within the authorities’ reform agenda, aimed at decreasing governmental involvement in commercial sectors and attracting investments to promote economic growth in Pakistan,” he added.
The IMF has long urged Islamabad to reduce the fiscal burden posed by loss-making state firms, which have weighed public finances for years and required repeated government bailouts. Beyond PIA, the government has signaled plans to restructure or sell stakes in additional SOEs as part of broader reforms under the IMF program.
Privatization also remains politically sensitive in Pakistan, with critics warning of job losses and concerns over national assets, while supporters argue private sector management could improve efficiency and service delivery in chronically underperforming entities.
Pakistan’s Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises said on Friday that SOEs recorded a net loss of Rs 122.9 billion ($442 million) in the 2024–25 fiscal year, compared with a net loss of Rs 30.6 billion ($110 million) in the previous year.
