ISLAMABAD: Qur’an reciters from various countries have started arriving in Pakistan for the country’s first ever International Qirat Competition (IQC-2025) slated to begin from next week, the religious affairs ministry said on Saturday. 

The IQC-2025 will be held in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad from Nov. 24-29, bringing together more than 34 Qur’an reciters from member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). 

The event aims to promote the art of Qur’anic recitation while strengthening intercultural and interfaith harmony among Muslim nations. 

“Qaris from various countries have started reaching Pakistan to participate in the International Qirat Competition, beginning in Islamabad from Monday,” the religious affairs ministry said. 

 It said that so far, Qur’an reciters from Chad, Somalia and Ghana have arrived in Islamabad. They were welcomed by officials of Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry. 

Meanwhile, international judge Qari Al-Sheikh Dr. Hamdullah Hafeez Muhammad Ibrahim from Egypt, Qari Hamza Muiz Ahmed Ali from Bahrain, Qari Ahmed Bakri Hassan Nawasrah from Jordan and Qari Nabeel Muhammad Ali Shreibati from Palestine are expected to reach Islamabad today, the ministry said. 

Qari Yegil Man Muhammad from Kazakhstan, Qari Diallo Amadou from Mali, Qari Ahmed Ahmed Maske from Mauritania and Qari Abda’u Fazaluddin from Comoros will also reach Islamabad today. 

According to the official schedule, Group-1 and Group-2 competitions will take place from Nov. 24 to 27 at the Auditorium of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) in Islamabad.

The grand prize distribution ceremony is set for Nov. 29 at the Jinnah Convention Center, where the winners will be honored.

State-level dignitaries are expected to preside over both the inaugural and concluding sessions.