ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Hajj Mission in Saudi Arabia will start moving pilgrims to Mina tonight, said the country’s religious affairs minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain on Thursday, marking the beginning of the annual Islamic pilgrimage from Friday.
The Hajj pilgrims gather in Mina on the first day of Hajj, where they spend time preparing spiritually before heading to the plain of Arafat.
The Day of Arafat is considered the most significant day of Hajj where pilgrims engage in deep prayer and reflection, seeking forgiveness and blessings.
Following this, they proceed to Muzdalifah at night to collect pebbles, then move to perform the symbolic stoning of the devil at Jamarat, culminating with the celebration of Eid Al-Adha through the ritual of animal sacrifice.
The Pakistani minister visited the residences and hospital of Hajj pilgrims and inquired about the well-being of people performing their spiritual journey this year.
“Pakistani Hajj pilgrims will be taken to Mina between Thursday and Friday night,” he said. “The country’s Hajj mission is continuously working on facilities at Mina and Arafat. The Hajj assistants and paramedical staff will also be with the pilgrims at Mina.”
The religious affairs ministry has told pilgrims they will receive information about the animal sacrifice through the Pak Hajj app.
“All pilgrims who have deposited the sacrifice amount at the ministry will have their sacrifice completed between Dhuhr and Asr prayers on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah,” the minister said.
He also interacted with the representatives of private Hajj companies and instructed them to provide best possible facilities pilgrims.
Pakistani authorities to transport pilgrims to Mina tonight ahead of start of Hajj on Friday
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Pakistani authorities to transport pilgrims to Mina tonight ahead of start of Hajj on Friday
- Chaudhry Salik Hussain says Hajj pilgrims will get notification of animal sacrifice on 10th of Dhul Hijjah
- He meets with representatives of private Hajj companies, asks them to provide proper facilities to pilgrims
Systems Limited to acquire Confiz in one of Pakistan’s biggest tech mergers
- Pakistan’s largest listed IT firm to absorb Confiz through court-sanctioned merger, PSX told in disclosure
- Deal expands Systems’ footprint in North America, Europe amid rising global demand for AI, cloud services
ISLAMABAD: Systems Limited, Pakistan’s largest listed IT services company, said on Thursday it will acquire Confiz, a global technology firm with strong operations in North America and Europe, in a merger that industry analysts describe as one of the biggest IT consolidation deals in Pakistan’s recent history.
In a disclosure to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), Systems Limited said its board had approved a plan to merge Confiz with the company. Under Pakistani company law, such mergers require a court-approved process in which one company is legally absorbed into another. Instead of paying cash, Systems will issue new shares to Confiz’s owners, effectively exchanging ownership in Confiz for ownership in Systems Limited. The merger still needs formal approval from shareholders, creditors, regulators and the Lahore High Court before it can take effect.
Announcing the deal, Systems Limited said the acquisition would significantly expand its global delivery capacity and strengthen domain expertise in high-value markets.
"This high-powered acquisition marks the beginning of a new era in how we deliver innovation, create value, and empower enterprises globally,” Systems Limited Group CEO and Managing Director Asif Peer said in a company statement.
“By integrating Confiz’s expertise with Systems Limited’s global platform, we are positioned to drive deeper innovation, further expand our footprint in North America and Europe, and deliver transformative outcomes for clients worldwide,” he added.
“This acquisition strengthens our position as a leading technology organization and contributes to the ongoing evolution of Pakistan’s IT landscape."
The draft merger scheme will be circulated to shareholders following directions from the Lahore High Court, Systems Limited said.
According to the PSX filing, the merged entity will issue new Systems Limited shares to Confiz shareholders once the amalgamation is cleared by regulators and the court. The company’s CEO, CFO and company secretary have been authorized to finalize the Scheme of Arrangement and all associated transaction documents.
Systems Limited, founded in 1977 and widely regarded as the pioneer of Pakistan’s IT industry, has grown into a global systems integrator with operations across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The company provides large-scale digital transformation, cloud, AI engineering and managed services to Fortune 500 and major public-sector clients.
Confiz, established in 2005, has built a strong presence in the United States, Canada and Europe, specializing in retail and consumer-goods (CPG) digital transformation, advanced data engineering, AI-driven modernization and cloud solutions. The company serves several Fortune 100 enterprises and operates talent hubs across North America, EMEA, South Asia and Latin America.
A cornerstone of the merger is Confiz’s longstanding strength in retail digital transformation, a sector where demand for AI-enabled forecasting, supply-chain modernization and omnichannel commerce is accelerating. Systems said combining its scale with Confiz’s accelerators and technical depth would allow it to compete more aggressively in the US and European enterprise markets.
Pakistan’s IT exports have risen sharply in recent years as global companies expand outsourcing and cloud engineering partnerships. Analysts say the merger signals the increasing international ambition of Pakistani IT firms as they look to scale into full-service digital transformation providers competing for global enterprise contracts.
