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Pakistan’s first Hajj flight under the Road to Makkah scheme departed for Medina on Wednesday, carrying 270 pilgrims from Islamabad. The non-Saudi airline took off at 11 am from Islamabad. The farewell ceremony was attended by Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, who wished the Hajis well. Saudi Deputy Head of Mission Muhammad Al Ali and Joint Secretary for Hajj Muhammad Bakhsh Sangi were also present at the ceremony.
The Road to Makkah scheme is a revolutionary facility for pilgrims: Sardar Muhammad Yousaf
In his speech at the ceremony, Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf stated that the first Hajj flight’s pilgrims were sent to the land of Hajj, and this moment is a memorable one for every Haji. He praised the services of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman. Sardar Muhammad Yousaf said that the Road to Makkah scheme is a revolutionary facility for pilgrims, and 36,000 pilgrims from Islamabad and 29,800 from Karachi will benefit from it. The complete guidance of pilgrims will be ensured in Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifa. He said that every Haji will be provided with free Saudi SIM cards as soon as they reach Saudi Arabia, and 188 trained supervisors will be appointed with every 188 pilgrims, and 80% of the total pilgrims will benefit from the Road to Makkah scheme. Sardar Muhammad Yousaf said that a total of 95,800 Pakistani pilgrims will benefit from this modern facility, and for the first time, 30,000 pilgrims from Lahore will also benefit from the Road to Makkah scheme.
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has recovered 1.45 billion Iranian rials from a detainee in Karachi. Vice Prime Minister Asad Umar spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi over the phone. Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said that a political party used to tell people that Pakistan’s economy was bankrupt and that the country was on the brink of collapse. A police team was investigating a robbery case, and the accused opened fire, and the police are still searching for them.
In Karachi’s Bilad Town area, a man allegedly opened fire and killed his former wife and two children. Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman demanded that the price of petrol be reduced to Rs 250. Nasser Shah said that tribal leaders have been told to perform their duties, and if they fail to do so, strict action will be taken. US President Donald Trump said that his representatives are on their way to Islamabad, and they will be present for talks on Thursday.
Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council Hafiz Tahir Mahmoud Ashrafi said that Hajis should follow the guidelines issued by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Senior leader of the ruling party Pakistan Muslim League (N) Khawaja Saad Rafique said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has saved the country from default. Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that the unity of political and military leadership is the guarantee of Pakistan’s strength.
Iranian Army Chief Amir Hatami said that our fingers are on the trigger, and we are ready to sacrifice our lives for the cause. The US advance team has arrived in Islamabad before the second round of Iran-US talks. Sources said that hotels in Islamabad are being emptied of guests, and no new bookings are allowed until Friday. According to Manzoor Shah, the claim that development work is not being done in Karachi is a lie, and the city’s infrastructure is in a very bad condition.
