- Foreign Minister thanks Kingdom for generous gesture
- Pilgrims will also be allowed to clear immigration from the point of departure, Ministry of Religious Affairs says
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia has increased the quota for Pakistan’s Hajj pilgrims to 200,000, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in a brief statement released on Wednesday night.
In a conversation with his Saudi counterpart over the phone, Qureshi thanked him on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan for the move, the statement read.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs (MRA) had said that nearly 184,210 Pakistanis would perform Hajj this year.
This week, the MRA also praised Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s decision to allow Pakistani pilgrims to clear the immigration process — from this year onwards — from the point of departure.
According to the MRA’s media director, Imran Siddique, Prime Minister Imran Khan had sought this favor from the crown prince during the royal’s two-day visit to Islamabad which concluded on Monday.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy deep-rooted ties based on common religious and cultural values.