‘Road to Makkah’ agreement is signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to help pilgrims.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have recently concluded the signing of an agreement called the “Road to Makkah” project. This initiative is specifically designed to streamline and simplify the immigration procedures for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. The signing ceremony occurred at the Prime Minister House, where Dr. Nasir Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Dawood, the Deputy Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia, was present during his visit to Pakistan.
The document was signed by Pakistan’s Minister for Interior, Rana Sanaullah, and the Saudi Deputy Interior Minister, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki in attendance.
The agreement allows for immigration facilities to be provided in Pakistan for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, exempting them from the immigration process at Saudi airports. The initial phase of the project will be implemented at Islamabad International Airport, benefiting around 26,000 pilgrims. Saudi authorities have assured that this facility will be extended to Karachi and Lahore airports in the future.
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In addition to the agreement, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia also signed joint minutes of the meeting. During the meeting, significant attention was given to the matter of issuing Pakistani passports to Burmese Muslims who are currently residing in Saudi Arabia. It was noted that the passports of Burmese Muslims had not been renewed since 2012, causing difficulties for them in the Kingdom. To address this, an arrangement was made to issue passports to the Burmese Muslims and their children, improving their legal status in Saudi Arabia. A bilateral committee comprising representatives from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan’s interior ministry will be formed to expedite the issuance of these documents.
Following the ceremony, PM Shehbaz presented a souvenir to the Saudi dignitary, who reciprocated the gesture by presenting a memento to the prime minister.
