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
https://arab.news/r5y5f
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 minister orders measures to ease port congestion, speed up sugar and cement handling
- Meeting in Islamabad reviewed congestion at Port Qasim and its impact on export shipments
- Ports directed to enforce first-come, first-served berthing and penalize unnecessary delays
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Saturday directed authorities to streamline sugar and cement operations at Port Qasim after reports of severe congestion caused by the slow unloading of sugar consignments disrupted export activities.
The government has been working to ease port bottlenecks that have delayed shipments and raised logistics costs for exporters, particularly in the cement and clinker sectors. The initiative is part of a broader effort to improve operational efficiency and align port management with national trade and logistics priorities.
“Improving operational efficiency is vital to prevent port congestion, which can cause delays, raise costs, and disrupt the supply chain,” Chaudhry told a high-level meeting attended by senior officials from the maritime and commerce ministries, port authorities and the Trading Corporation of Pakistan.
The meeting was informed that sugar was being unloaded at a rate below Port Qasim’s potential capacity. The minister instructed the Port Qasim Authority to optimize discharge operations in line with its daily capacity of about 4,000 to 4,500 tons.
Participants also reviewed directives from the Prime Minister’s Office calling for up to 60 percent of sugar imports to be redirected to Gwadar Port to ease the load on Karachi terminals.
Officials said all vessels at Port Qasim and Karachi Port would now be berthed on a first-come, first-served basis, with penalties to be applied for unnecessary delays.
The TCP was told to improve operational planning and coordinate vessel arrivals more closely with port authorities.
Chaudhry commended the engagement of all participants and said consistent adherence to performance standards was essential to sustaining port efficiency and preventing a recurrence of logistical disruptions.
