ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia has agreed in principle to provide e-visas to Pakistani Hajj pilgrims travelling to Mecca this year, the Pakistani ministry of religious affairs said on Thursday, an important milestone in ties between staunch allies Islamabad and Riyadh.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, both Muslim-majority nations, have for decades had warm relations based in shared religious and cultural beliefs.
“This year Pakistani Hajj pilgrims will get e-visa,” Imran Siddique, a spokesman for the Ministry of Religious Affairs, told Arab News, adding that the move would help travellers save a lot of time. “From this year, pilgrims can download their visas (papers) from our ministry's website and we can also send them visas through Whatsapp, if needed.”
Siddique said a 14-member delegation led by the Saudi Director General of Passports was expected to visit Pakistan on March 31 to analyse immigration facilities for Hajj pilgrims at airports in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had formally granted permission to include Pakistan in the “Road to Makkah Project” – an initiative to facilitate pilgrims from across the Muslim world – during his visit to Islamabad in February this year.
As part of the initiative, all pilgrims traveling from Pakistan can now clear immigration at their local airports in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar.
Nearly 107,526 Pakistanis will perform Hajj on the government’s quota this year, while more than 76,000 will use services offered by private tour and Hajj operators. Hajj flights from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia will begin from the first week of July.
