ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Senate chairman has called on Iraq’s government to streamline arrangements and ease the process for Pakistani pilgrims traveling to the Middle Eastern country for the annual Arbaeen religious event, state broadcaster reported on Wednesday.
Iraq is home to some of the holiest Shia Muslim sites, including the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf and the Imam Hussain Shrine in Karbala. The annual Arbaeen pilgrimage, marking the martyrdom of Hussain in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE, attracts millions of Shia Muslim devotees from around the world.
Arbaeen signifies the end of a 40-day mourning period for Hussain, observed by Shia Muslims worldwide, with pilgrims from Pakistan and other parts of the world traveling to Iraq to honor his sacrifice.
Former prime minister and Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani met Iraq’s Ambassador to Pakistan Hamid Abbas Lafta in Islamabad to discuss the religious event and bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
“He (Gilani) said 250,000 Pakistani pilgrims visit Iraq every year to pay respect at holy sites,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
“He said there is an urgent need to further streamline the arrangements for Pakistani pilgrims.”
The report added that Gilani stressed the need for enhanced cooperation between Pakistan and Iraq in key sectors including agriculture, trade, water, energy, education, tourism, and defense.
It said Gilani also called for direct flights between both countries to strengthen people-to-people contacts, highlighting that the two sides agreed to promote “parliamentary diplomacy and delegation exchanges.”
Last year Pakistan and Iraq agreed on several measures to facilitate Pakistani pilgrims traveling for Arbaeen. These included easing travel restrictions, operating special flights and launching a crackdown on travel agents charging excessive fees.
Senate chairman calls for streamlining arrangements for 250,000 Pakistani pilgrims to Iraq
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Senate chairman calls for streamlining arrangements for 250,000 Pakistani pilgrims to Iraq
- Iraqi Ambassador Hamid Abbas Lufta calls on Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani in Islamabad
- Around 250,000 pilgrims visit Iraq every year to pay respects at holy sites during Arbaeen
Pakistan says $50 million meat export deal with Tajikistan nearing finalization
- Islamabad expects to finalize agreement soon after Dushanbe signals demand for 100,000 tons
- Pakistan is seeking to expand agricultural trade beyond rice, citrus and mango exports
ISLAMABAD: Tajikistan has expressed interest in importing 100,000 tons of Pakistani meat worth more than $50 million, with both governments expected to finalize a supply agreement soon, Pakistan’s food security ministry said on Tuesday.
Pakistan is trying to grow agriculture-based exports as it seeks regional markets for livestock and food commodities, while Tajikistan, a landlocked Central Asian state, has been expanding food imports to support domestic demand. Pakistan currently exports rice, citrus and mangoes to Dushanbe, though volumes remain small compared to national production, according to official figures.
The development came during a meeting in Islamabad between Pakistan’s Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain and Ambassador of Tajikistan Yusuf Sharifzoda, where agricultural trade, livestock supply and food-security cooperation were discussed.
“Tajikistan intends to purchase 100,000 tons of meat from Pakistan, an import valued at over USD 50 million,” the ambassador said, according to the ministry’s statement, assuring full facilitation and that Islamabad was prepared to meet the demand.
The statement said the two sides agreed to expand cooperation in meat and livestock, fresh fruit, vegetables, staple crops, agricultural research, pest management and standards compliance. Pakistan also proposed strengthening coordination on phytosanitary rules and establishing pest-free production zones to support long-term exports.
Pakistan and Tajikistan have long maintained political ties but bilateral food trade remains below potential: Pakistan produces 1.8 million tons of mangoes annually but exported just 0.7 metric tons to Tajikistan in 2024, while rice exports amounted to only 240 metric tons in 2022 out of national output of 9.3 million tons. Pakistan imports mainly ginned cotton from Tajikistan.
