Saudi Arabia Urges Pakistan to Address Beggar Issue During Pilgrimage
Islamabad, Pakistan – Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj has asked Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs to tackle the growing problem of Pakistani beggars entering Saudi Arabia under the guise of religious pilgrimage. This issue, particularly involving those on Umrah visas, is causing concern among Saudi authorities as it could negatively impact the experience of genuine Umrah pilgrims and Hajj visitors.
In a letter to Pakistan’s Ministry, Saudi officials warned that if the situation continues, it may affect the experience of Pakistani pilgrims. Pakistan is currently facing economic challenges, leading to high inflation rates, which have impacted various aspects of life, including the country’s participation in the Hajj pilgrimage.
For the first time in history, Pakistan has returned the quota allotted by Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrims due to a shortage of applications. The Ministry of Religious Affairs confirmed that the eight thousand government scheme quota has been returned to save USD 24 million, which would have been spent on accommodation. The federal government had previously announced that there would be no balloting for Hajj applicants due to the expected shortage.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony (MoRA) oversees pilgrimage matters outside Pakistan, including those to Saudi Arabia for Umrah and Hajj. They have established initiatives like the “Road to Makkah” project and agreements with Saudi authorities to facilitate pilgrims’ journeys.
Doubts Revealed
Saudi Arabia -: Saudi Arabia is a country in the Middle East known for its deserts and being the birthplace of Islam. It is very important for Muslims because it has the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
Pakistan -: Pakistan is a country in South Asia, next to India. It has a lot of people who follow Islam, and many of them go on pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia.
Ministry of Hajj -: The Ministry of Hajj is a part of the Saudi Arabian government that takes care of all the arrangements for people coming to perform Hajj and Umrah, which are important religious journeys for Muslims.
Ministry of Religious Affairs -: This is a part of the Pakistani government that helps people with religious matters, including organizing trips for Hajj and Umrah.
beggars -: Beggars are people who ask others for money or food because they are very poor and don’t have enough to live on.
pilgrimage -: A pilgrimage is a special journey that people make to a holy place for religious reasons. For Muslims, Hajj and Umrah are important pilgrimages to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Umrah -: Umrah is a pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims can do at any time of the year. It is not as big as Hajj but still very important.
Hajj -: Hajj is a very important pilgrimage that Muslims must try to do at least once in their lifetime if they can afford it. It happens once a year in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
economic challenges -: Economic challenges mean that a country is having trouble with money, like not having enough jobs or things being very expensive.
high inflation -: High inflation means that the prices of things like food and clothes are going up very quickly, making it hard for people to buy what they need.
Hajj quota -: A Hajj quota is a limit on the number of people from a country who can go to Hajj each year. This helps manage the large number of pilgrims.
USD 24 million -: USD 24 million means 24 million US dollars, which is a lot of money. It shows how much Pakistan saved by returning its Hajj quota.