ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry on Saturday asked intending pilgrims to get vaccinated against meningitis, flu and polio before leaving for Saudi Arabia to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
The annual pilgrimage is expected to take place in June. Nearly 90,000 Pakistanis are expected to travel to Saudi Arabia under the government scheme, while 23,620 Pakistanis will perform Hajj through private tour operators this year.
The South Asian country started vaccinating intending Hajj pilgrims against meningitis, flu and polio this week, with arrangement for the vaccination of pilgrims at 11 Hajj camps across the country.
The religious affairs ministry said it was mandatory to get the vaccinations, which are free of charge, warning that all pilgrims have to get jabbed and receive a proof of vaccination before leaving for the Kingdom.
“Without this, entry into Saudi Arabia will not be possible,” it said in a statement.
“Pilgrims over 65 years of age must carry their old coronavirus vaccine card. In case of absence of the card, only pilgrims over 65 years of age should get the coronavirus vaccine from the nearest Hajj camp.”
Pakistan will launch Hajj flight operations from Apr. 29, with the first flight departing from the eastern city of Lahore.
While a precise number of pilgrims for Hajj 2025 is difficult to be determined in advance, projections suggest it will be a record-breaking year, with over 2.5 million pilgrims expected.
Pakistan asks intending pilgrims to get vaccinated against meningitis, flu before leaving for Hajj
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Pakistan asks intending pilgrims to get vaccinated against meningitis, flu before leaving for Hajj
- Pakistan will launch its Hajj flight operations from April 29
- Over 113,000 Pakistanis are expected to perform Hajj this year
Sharif departs for Austria on first official visit by Pakistani PM in over 30 years
- Shehbaz Sharif leads high-level delegation to Austria on two-day visit, says Pakistan’s foreign office
- Sharif to meet Austrian counterpart, chair Pakistan–Austria Business Forum meeting during visit
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed for Vienna on Sunday for a two-day visit to review bilateral ties, his office said in a statement, marking the first official visit by a Pakistani premier to the country in over three decades.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson said that Sharif is undertaking the visit at Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker’s invitation. Sharif will lead a high-level delegation comprising the deputy premier and information minister from the Feb. 15-16 visit.
The foreign office said Sharif’s visit marks 70 years since diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Austria were established.
“This visit by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Vienna marks the first visit by a Pakistani Prime Minister to Austria in over three decades, the last having been undertaken by the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1992,” the statement said.
Sharif will hold bilateral talks with his Austrian counterpart, during which the two leaders will take stock of the entire gamut of bilateral relations.
“The prime minister will also chair a meeting of the Pakistan–Austria Business Forum, which is being organized by the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO),” the foreign office said. “He will also visit multilateral organizations.”
According to Pakistan’s foreign ministry, Islamabad and Vienna enjoy cooperation in the domains of trade, economy, culture and education.
It said Sharif’s visit to Vienna will establish new dimensions to the Pakistan-Austria relations.
