ISLAMABAD – Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, has lauded the establishment of a $40 million fund by Saudi travel and hospitality companies, aimed at reducing expenses for Pakistani Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.
Speaking at a ceremony, the minister stated that the initiative could lower individual pilgrimage costs by up to Rs50,000, offering much-needed financial relief to thousands of Pakistani pilgrims.
The total fund, equivalent to approximately Rs15 billion in local currency, is expected to significantly improve services and affordability for Hajj and Umrah travelers.
The minister also revealed that a new prayer calendar (Nizam-e-Salat) will soon be launched in Islamabad to promote religious harmony.
He added that Pakistani pilgrims traveling to Iran, Iraq, and Syria will now be organized into groups, similar to the arrangements for Hajj and Umrah.
In a separate meeting with a delegation from the Shia Ulema Council, mutual efforts for peace and sectarian harmony across the country were emphasized. Both sides agreed on the importance of collaborative actions to foster religious unity.
Commenting on recent reports, Sardar Yousaf mentioned that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has rejected the initial investigation into the case of 63,000 pilgrims who were unable to perform Hajj. A second committee has now been tasked with a fresh inquiry into the matter.
