ISLAMABAD: Islamabad was all praises for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's decision to allow Pakistani pilgrims to undergo the immigration process for Hajj in their own country from this year onward, the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MRA) said on Tuesday.
“Pakistan wanted to be a part of Saudi Arabia’s Road to Mecca program that already includes Indonesia and Malaysia,” Imran Siddique, the ministry’s media director told Arab News on Tuesday.
“Pilgrims from the Southeast Asian countries go through the immigration process before their arrival in the Kingdom. We were also looking for a similar facility for our pilgrims and had requested the Saudi Ministry of Hajj in that connection," he said, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan had sought the same favor from the crown prince and the visiting dignitary granted it on Monday.
In the first phase, approximately 37,000 to 40,000 pilgrims from the southern province of Sindh -- who will depart from Karachi -- will have access to this facility.
Siddique added that these pilgrims will also include those individuals who are not part of the government's program and are planning their pilgrimage with private tour operators.
According to an MRA official, 184,210 pilgrims from Pakistan will perform Hajj this year, with the new immigration facility to be extended to pilgrims flying out of Lahore and Islamabad starting from next year.
