Over 62,140 Pakistani pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj

A bus awaits for Hajj pilgrims in Makkah, Saudi Arabia on June 2, 2024. (SPA)
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Updated 02 June 2024
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Over 62,140 Pakistani pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj

  • Pakistan welcomes 46,648 pilgrims under government scheme, 15,500 under private scheme
  • This year 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims are expected to perform annual Islamic pilgrimage 

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hajj Mission (PHM) has so far welcomed 62,148 pilgrims in the cities of Makkah and Madinah under both government and private schemes since May 9, an official of the country’s religion ministry said this week. 

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and requires every adult Muslim to undertake the journey to the holy Islamic sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime if they are financially and physically able.
Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims this year, of which around 70,000 people will perform the pilgrimage under the government scheme, while the rest will use private tour operators.

This year’s pilgrimage is expected to run from June 14 till June 19.

“So far, 46,648 pilgrims have arrived via 185 flights under the government scheme, while 15,500 have arrived under the private scheme,” Muhammad Umar Butt, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) said on Saturday. 

An additional 22,090 Pakistani pilgrims are expected to arrive in Makkah over the next nine days, Butt said. This year, the PHM will host over 70,105 pilgrims under the government scheme and more than 80,000 under the private scheme. 

He said the PHM is making use of two toll-free helplines and four WhatsApp numbers to address pilgrims’ complaints.

“Additionally, the spokesman said two central hospitals and a dozen dispensaries in the Haram are providing medical facilities to pilgrims, with 322 doctors and medical staff on duty,” the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said. 

A total of 511 Hajj Moavineen or facilitators, including Pakistani civilians and uniformed personnel, are working to provide pilgrims with travel, accommodation, and food facilities.


Record-breaking Joe Root hits hundred as England’s power to 351-3 against Pakistan

Updated 12 sec ago
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Record-breaking Joe Root hits hundred as England’s power to 351-3 against Pakistan

  • All three Pakistani pacers, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Aamer Jamal, have taken one wicket each
  • 33-year-old Root has become England’s highest run scorer in Tests, and the fifth highest of all time in the world

MULTAN: Joe Root hit a magnificent hundred on Wednesday to guide England to 351-3 at tea on the third day of the opening Test against Pakistan in Multan after breaking Alastair Cook’s Test runs record.
The 33-year-old became England’s highest run scorer in Tests, and the fifth highest of all time, when he drove Pakistan seamer Aamer Jamal for a straight boundary to reach 71 just before lunch.
In the second session he reverse swept spinner Abrar Ahmed for a single to reach his 35th Test hundred – the sixth most by any batsman – before going to the interval on an imperious 119 not out.
Harry Brook scored his 10th Test half century and was 64 not out, leaving England 205 behind Pakistan’s first innings total of 556. Root has so far notched eight fours to Brook’s seven.
Root and Brook’s fourth-wicket stand has so far yielded 102 runs as a flat Multan stadium pitch continued to give no assistance to the bowlers.
Root added 136 for the third wicket with Ben Duckett who made a robust 84 with 11 boundaries, showing no effect of a thumb dislocation on Tuesday that forced him to bat at number four.
Duckett was the only man dismissed in the post-lunch session, trapped leg-before by seamer Aamer Jamal after hitting 11 boundaries.
All three Pakistan fast bowlers, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Jamal have taken one wicket each.
It was a day to remember for Root, who took 268 innings and 147 Tests to go past his former captain Cook’s total of 12,472 runs from 161 Tests in a glorious career that ended in 2018.
Root also added 109 for the second wicket with Zak Crawley, who hit 13 fours in an 85-ball 78 but departed early on the third morning.
In the fourth over, Crawley failed to keep a flick down off pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi and was caught at the second attempt by Jamal at mid-wicket.
Duckett started with trademark aggression, taking five boundaries off spinner Abrar and completing his 10th Test half-century off just 45 balls.
It enabled Root to accumulate steadily at the other end as he brought up his 65th Test fifty off 76 balls before being applauded by a handful of England fans and teammates in the dressing room when he broke Cook’s record.
The all-time list is headed by India’s Sachin Tendulkar with 15,921 from 200 matches.
Cook tipped Root to eclipse Tendulkar’s mark.
“I can see him overhauling Sachin Tendulkar’s record,” the former England opening batsman said during commentary on BBC radio.
“You could say Sachin is still the favorite but just.
“I don’t see that happening for Root to lose that hunger and ability to keep driving himself forward for the next couple of years.”


Pakistan’s UAE envoy calls for collaboration between commerce chambers, B2B joint ventures

Updated 6 min 7 sec ago
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Pakistan’s UAE envoy calls for collaboration between commerce chambers, B2B joint ventures

  • Pakistani ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi meets Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, chairman Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce 
  • Tirmizi briefed Zaabi regarding Pakistan’s investment regime and initiatives by the government for facilitation of foreign investors

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ambassador to the UAE, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, has called for UAE chambers of commerce to increase collaboration with Pakistani counterparts and set up business-to-business joint ventures for the enhancement of trade and investment between the two countries, Islamabad’s embassy in Abu Dhabi said on Wednesday.
The issues were discussed during a meeting between Tirmizi and Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, the chairman of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UAE Chambers) and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ADCCI). Zaabi is also the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).
“Enhancement of collaboration between UAE Chambers with Pakistani Chambers of Commerce and Industries and establishment of B2B joint ventures for enhancement of trade between the two brotherly countries were also discussed during the meeting,” the Pakistani embassy said after the meeting between the two officials. 
“Tirmizi briefed Zaabi regarding Pakistan’s investment regime and initiatives of the government for facilitation of foreign investors.”
The envy also briefed the UAE official about potential investment sectors in Pakistan including IT, food and agriculture, textile, leather, tourism, and infrastructure. He also reiterated the invitation to a business delegation from the UAE Chambers to visit Pakistan.
“Both the sides agreed on the enhancement of economic and commercial cooperation between the two brotherly countries through trade facilitation, B2B engagements and mutual exchange of delegations and participation in trade fairs and exhibitions including GITEX and TEXPO,” the Pakistan embassy said. 
Last year, Pakistan set up the Special Investment Facilitation Council, a body comprising Pakistani civilian and military leaders and specially tasked to promote investment in Pakistan. The council is so far focusing on investments in the energy, agriculture, mining, information technology and aviation sectors and specifically targeting Gulf nations.


Rights groups slam Pakistan for blocking activist’s US travel

Updated 16 min 25 sec ago
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Rights groups slam Pakistan for blocking activist’s US travel

  • Ethnic rights activist Mahrang Baloch says officials blocked her from leaving for New York to attend a TIME magazine awards gala
  • Authorities in Islamabad have blocked foreign travel for many Pakistani activists, journalists and dissenting politicians in recent years

ISLAMABAD: Human rights advocates including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai criticized Pakistan on Wednesday for stopping a leading ethnic minority activist from traveling to accept a US award.
Mahrang Baloch, one of Pakistan’s most prominent rights voices, said officials blocked her from leaving Karachi for New York on Monday night to attend a TIME magazine awards gala.
The 31-year-old had been due to accept an award for campaigning on behalf of the Baloch ethnic group, which claims it has been targeted by Islamabad with extrajudicial harassment, arrests and killings.
“Mahrang Baloch’s activism for Baloch people should be recognized, not denied a platform,” Pakistan’s Yousafzai wrote on social media platform X on Wednesday.
“I know this will not deter her from continuing to speak up and protest peacefully for human rights,” she said.
The Pakistan government says its forces are fighting separatist militants, who target state forces and foreign nationals, in southwestern Balochistan province.
Authorities in Islamabad have blocked foreign travel for many Pakistani activists, critical journalists and dissenting politicians in recent years.
Baloch said she held a valid US visa but immigration officials in Karachi prevented her from boarding her flight.
She said she was detained for five hours and that her passport and phone were seized, blaming police and the Federal Investigation Agency, a Pakistani intelligence service.
Neither organization responded immediately to a request for comment.
“This action reflects the growing fear and insecurity of the state toward Baloch voices,” Baloch said in a video statement late on Monday.
“There was no legitimate purpose for preventing my travel, except to silence Baloch voices from being heard internationally,” she said.
Baloch, a doctor, was named on the 2024 TIME100 Next list of “rising leaders” who the magazine believes “will play an important role in leading the future.”
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said blocking Baloch’s travel was “a flagrant violation of her right to freedom of movement and expression.”
UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor said on X she was “very concerned.”
Pakistan also banned another ethnic activist organization, the Pashtun Protection Movement, at the weekend.
Amnesty International said it was “part of a systematic and relentless clampdown by the Pakistani authorities on peaceful protests and assemblies by dissenting groups.”
Baloch began her activist career at the age of 16 in 2009, when her father went missing in an alleged “enforced disappearance.” His body was found two years later.
Protests and advocacy among the Baloch are generally led by women, who say their male counterparts have suffered the worst in a decades-long state crackdown.


Pakistan approves new energy market system allowing consumers to choose electricity suppliers

Updated 46 min 2 sec ago
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Pakistan approves new energy market system allowing consumers to choose electricity suppliers

  • Cabinet Committee on Energy has approved an independent entity to transition to multi-player electricity market
  • The initiative is expected to help address issues like circular debt, power theft and transmission losses in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Committee on Energy on Wednesday approved the formation of an independent entity to reform Pakistan’s energy market by enabling consumers to purchase power from multiple suppliers, moving away from the current government-controlled system, where it is the sole buyer of electricity.
Pakistan’s energy sector has long struggled with financial strain due to circular debt, power theft and transmission losses, which have led to blackouts and high electricity costs.
The development of the independent market is viewed as a critical step toward addressing these issues by fostering competition, improving transparency and attracting foreign investment, ultimately easing the financial burden on the government and consumers alike.
The committee gave principal approval for the creation of the Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO) during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, though the decision still requires endorsement by the federal cabinet for implementation.
“ISMO will gradually replace the government as the sole buyer of electricity and transition the energy market into a multi-player independent market,” the PM Office said in a statement issued after the meeting. “Consumers will be able to purchase electricity from suppliers other than just distribution companies under this system.”
“This initiative will help establish an efficient, transparent and competitive electricity market in Pakistan,” it added.
The creation of ISMO is also expected to reduce circular debt and stabilize electricity prices.
“The ISMO board will include experts from the energy sector to ensure smooth operations,” the statement informed.
Addressing the meeting, the prime minister emphasized the need to expedite efforts to reduce theft and losses in the electricity sector.
“We are taking priority-based measures to reform Pakistan’s energy sector,” Sharif added.


Saudi Arabia top contributor as Pakistan worker remittances grow 29% year-on-year

Updated 09 October 2024
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Saudi Arabia top contributor as Pakistan worker remittances grow 29% year-on-year

  • Highest inflow of $681.3 million was recorded from Saudi Arabia, followed by UAE, UK, US
  • Remittances bring billions of dollars annually from overseas Pakistanis and are vital to economy

KARACHI: Pakistan recorded year-on-year growth of 29 percent in workers’ remittances with inflows of $2.8 billion in September, the central bank said on Wednesday, with the highest contributions from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. 
Remittances bring billions of dollars annually from overseas Pakistanis and are vital to Pakistan’s struggling economy. These inflows bolster foreign exchange reserves, stabilize the balance of payments, and support the Pakistani currency. 
“Remittances inflows during September 2024 were mainly sourced from Saudi Arabia ($681.3 million), United Arab Emirates ($560.3 million), United Kingdom ($423.6 million) and United States of America ($274.9 million),” the central bank said.
In the first quarter of the fiscal year 2025 (Q1-FY25), Pakistan received $8.8 billion in remittances, representing a significant growth of 38.8 percent compared to the same quarter last year (Q1-FY24), central bank data showed. 
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Tuesday announced a three-time increase in monetary incentives for exchange companies to bring more remittances into the country. 
The bank increased incentives to Rs4 per US dollar for exchange companies on home remittances effective Oct. 1. According to the circular, ECs will be paid on a fixed component with a base rate of Rs2 for each US dollar of home remittances surrendered to SBP-designated banks. On the variable component, ECs will be paid Rs3 for each incremental US dollar surrendered to encourage growth in home remittances up to 5 percent or $25 million (whichever is lower) than the previous year. Further, Rs4 per US dollar will be paid against incremental remittances above 5 percent or over $25m, compared to the previous year.