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Pakistan approves Hajj Policy 2025, adds new role to improve pilgrim services

Pakistan approves Hajj Policy 2025, adds new role to improve pilgrim services
Muslim pilgrims perform the farewell circumambulation or "tawaf", circling seven times around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah on June 18, 2024 at the end of the annual hajj pilgrimage. (AFP/File)
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Updated 05 November 2024

Pakistan approves Hajj Policy 2025, adds new role to improve pilgrim services

Pakistan approves Hajj Policy 2025, adds new role to improve pilgrim services
  • Pakistan will send 179,210 pilgrims, equally divided between the government and private sector
  • Government will prioritize first-time pilgrims in the official balloting process, says a statement

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the Hajj Policy 2025, said an official statement, specifying a quota of 179,210 pilgrims and introducing a new position of the “nazim” or administrator to ensure improved services for those embarking on the spiritual journey.
Hajj, one of Islam’s five pillars, is an annual pilgrimage to Makkah undertaken by millions of Muslims. Pakistan has one of the largest Hajj quotas provided by ֱ to any Muslim country amid immense demand for the pilgrimage, with many citizens waiting years for an opportunity to participate.
“The federal cabinet approved the Hajj Policy 2025 on the recommendation of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony,” an official handout from the Prime Minister’s Office said. “The cabinet was informed that Pakistan’s Hajj quota for 2025 will be 179,210, divided equally between the government and the private sector.”
The new policy includes the creation of a “nazim” position, aimed at ensuring the well-being of pilgrims throughout the journey.
“For every 100 pilgrims, one nazim will be appointed from the welfare staff,” the handout added, underscoring the government’s intent to improve the pilgrimage experience.
Under the policy, children under 12 will not be allowed to travel for Hajj. Government quota allocation will be conducted through computerized balloting, with 1,000 seats reserved for hardship cases and 300 for laborers or low-income employees registered with the Workers Welfare Fund or the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution.
Additionally, the Makkah Route Initiative, offering streamlined immigration services, will be available at Islamabad and Karachi international airports. To further enhance the experience, Hajj Group Organizers will sign service agreements with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, with close monitoring of service quality.
In light of previous challenges, the cabinet has increased compensation for pilgrims who may pass away or get injured during the pilgrimage. The families of deceased pilgrims will receive Rs1 million to Rs2 million, while injured pilgrims will receive Rs1 million in compensation.
A specialized Hajj management app has also been developed to support pilgrims, along with extensive training initiatives.
The cabinet directed priority in the balloting process to first-time pilgrims and emphasized the importance of ensuring top-quality services for all participants.


China sends additional relief supplies to Pakistan for flood-affected families

China sends additional relief supplies to Pakistan for flood-affected families
Updated 04 October 2025

China sends additional relief supplies to Pakistan for flood-affected families

China sends additional relief supplies to Pakistan for flood-affected families
  • Special aircraft carrying 90 tons of tents, blankets, life jackets and sleeping bags arrives in Islamabad
  • The consignment follows two earlier Chinese relief flights sent after devastating floods in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: China dispatched a fresh consignment of relief goods to Pakistan on Saturday to support families affected by this year’s monsoon floods, which displaced thousands of people, especially in the eastern Punjab province, said an official statement.

The latest assistance from Beijing comes at a time when Pakistan is struggling to recover from weeks of torrential rains and riverine floods that inundated large parts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, damaging homes, infrastructure and farmland.

“A special relief aircraft weighing 90 tons arrived today at Islamabad International Airport, carrying 700 tents, 16,000 blankets, 1,000 life jackets, and 4,000 sleeping bags to support communities impacted by recent floods,” said the National Disaster Management Authority.

“China has once again demonstrated its solidarity with Pakistan” it added.

The new consignment follows two earlier relief flights sent by the Chinese authorities on Sept. 28 that carried 300 tents and 9,000 blankets, reflecting what the statement described as Beijing’s “continued support in times of crisis.”

The NDMA said the distribution of supplies is being coordinated with provincial and local authorities to ensure delivery to the affected population.

The monsoon season this year has killed at least 1,037 people and affected millions across Pakistan, according to official estimates, reviving memories of the 2022 floods that submerged a third of the country.

The monsoon provides up to 80 percent of the country’s annual rainfall but also causes regular devastation. 


Interpol asks Pakistan to help trace Range Rover stolen from UK, tracked to Karachi

Interpol asks Pakistan to help trace Range Rover stolen from UK, tracked to Karachi
Updated 04 October 2025

Interpol asks Pakistan to help trace Range Rover stolen from UK, tracked to Karachi

Interpol asks Pakistan to help trace Range Rover stolen from UK, tracked to Karachi
  • The black vehicle was stolen from Harrogate in 2022 and later traced to Karachi’s Saddar area
  • Pakistan has asked Interpol to share updated location details to facilitate the recovery operation

KARACHI: Interpol has requested Pakistan’s help in recovering a Range Rover Sport stolen from the United Kingdom, according to an official letter that surfaced this week, after British investigators traced the vehicle’s signal to Karachi earlier this year.

The communication, sent by Pakistan’s National Central Bureau of Interpol on Sept. 26, said UK authorities had asked local police to trace and locate the vehicle, stolen from the northern English town of Harrogate in November 2022.

The car, a black Range Rover Sport originally registered as MK70 OKW, was tracked to the Saddar area of Karachi in February through its onboard telematics system.

“We received a letter from Interpol ... requesting assistance in recovering a vehicle stolen from the UK,” said SSP Amjad Ahmed Shaikh, who heads the Anti-Car Lifting Cell of Karachi Police.

“Since the location they provided for this vehicle, stolen in 2022, was from February, we have emailed them to request the current location,” he added. “Once we receive the updated location, action will be initiated and the vehicle will be recovered.”

According to the letter, the UK police requested that Pakistani authorities make an attempt to trace and locate the vehicle.

The document said the Range Rover remained listed as stolen in the global Interpol database. It also identified the last known coordinates as Qur’angi Service Road, Azam Basti, Saddar Town, on Feb. 11.

The case was first flagged by Interpol Manchester, which informed Pakistan’s Interpol bureau about the vehicle being tracked to Karachi earlier this year. 


Pakistan says over 14 India-linked militants killed in Balochistan operation

Pakistan says over 14 India-linked militants killed in Balochistan operation
Updated 04 October 2025

Pakistan says over 14 India-linked militants killed in Balochistan operation

Pakistan says over 14 India-linked militants killed in Balochistan operation
  • Security forces destroy several hideouts in Khuzdar district during intelligence-based raid, state media reports
  • Islamabad accuses New Delhi of backing militant groups as separatist violence surges in resource-rich province

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces killed more than 14 militants allegedly linked to India and destroyed several hideouts during an operation in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan, state media reported on Saturday.

The operation was carried out in the Zehri area of Khuzdar district, where security forces foiled an attempt by militants to intimidate local residents, according to the country’s official news channel.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but poorest province, has long been plagued by an insurgency that has intensified in recent months, with separatist militants increasingly targeting security personnel, government officials, infrastructure and non-local residents.

“More than 14 terrorists linked to the so-called ‘Fitna-e-Hindustan’ were killed and over 20 injured in the Khuzdar operation,” Pakistan Television (PTV) said in a post on Instagram.

“Security forces remain fully prepared to eliminate these India-backed terrorists to ensure public safety,” it added.

In recent months, Islamabad has repeatedly accused India of backing militant groups to foment insurgencies in Pakistan, an allegation New Delhi denies.

Balochistan is strategically significant for its vast mineral wealth and as a transit hub for the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Yet, the province has long been gripped by separatist violence, with groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) intensifying attacks in recent years.

These groups demand independence for the province, accusing the central government of exploiting the province’s natural resources, a charge Islamabad denies.

Balochistan has also witnessed a string of high-profile attacks since the beginning of the year. In March, the BLA hijacked a passenger train, and in May, a suicide bombing in Khuzdar killed several children after targeting their school bus.

Security forces, civilians and non-local workers are frequently targeted by separatist groups in the region, though authorities have mainly relied on intelligence-based operations rather than launching a full-scale military campaign. 


Pakistan military warns India against aggression after army chief’s remarks on ‘erasing Pakistan’

Pakistan military warns India against aggression after army chief’s remarks on ‘erasing Pakistan’
Updated 05 October 2025

Pakistan military warns India against aggression after army chief’s remarks on ‘erasing Pakistan’

Pakistan military warns India against aggression after army chief’s remarks on ‘erasing Pakistan’
  • Military says India inventing pretext for another conflict, vows to strike ‘farthest reaches’ if war erupts
  • Both countries had an intesne military standoff this year before a US-brokered ceasefire was announced

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military said on Saturday India was trying to invent reasons for renewed aggression, issuing a strongly worded statement in response to hostile statements from New Delhi this week and warning Pakistan would not hold back and would “hit the farthest reaches” of the neighboring state if fresh clashes erupt.

India targeted several sites in Pakistan earlier this year after a militant attack in the disputed Kashmir region which it blamed on Islamabad, despite Pakistan’s denial of involvement and its call for an international probe. The escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors triggered intense missile, drone and artillery exchanges before a US-brokered ceasefire was announced on May 10.

Pakistan said it shot down six Indian fighter jets, including French-made Rafales, with New Delhi acknowledging some losses but disputing the number. Earlier this week, Indian Air Force Chief Amar Preet Singh claimed his forces had downed five Pakistani fighter planes, while Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi accused Islamabad of “terrorism” and warned that India would strike so hard that its rival would “lose a place in history and geography.”

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also alleged Pakistan had engaged in a military buildup near a sensitive border area, saying “a route to Karachi passes through Sir Creek.”

“We have noted with grave concern the delusional, provocative and jingoistic statements coming from the highest levels of the Indian security establishment,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement. “These irresponsible statements indicate a renewed attempt at fabricating arbitrary pretexts for aggression — a prospect which might lead to serious consequences for peace and stability in South Asia.”

“In the face of highly provocative statements of the Indian Defense Minister and its Army and Air Chiefs, we caution that a future conflict might lead to cataclysmic devastation,” it added. “In case a fresh round of hostilities is triggered, Pakistan shall not hold back. We shall resolutely respond, without any qualms or restraint.”

The statement accused India of “stoking violence” and “perpetrating terrorism” in the region — allegations New Delhi has previously denied — and said the world now recognized it as “the epicenter of regional instability.”

ISPR further warned Pakistan would strike deep inside India if attacked again.

“This time we shall shatter the myth of geographic immunity, hitting the farthest reaches of the Indian territory,” it said. “As for the talk of erasing Pakistan from the map, India must know that if the situation comes, the erasure will be mutual.”

The two South Asian rivals have fought three full-scale wars and numerous border skirmishes since their independence from Britain in 1947.

Any escalating rhetoric from both sides risks destabilizing the ceasefire and undermining diplomatic efforts to maintain calm. 


Pakistan warns of severe cyclone near Karachi amid forecast of more rains in Punjab

Pakistan warns of severe cyclone near Karachi amid forecast of more rains in Punjab
Updated 04 October 2025

Pakistan warns of severe cyclone near Karachi amid forecast of more rains in Punjab

Pakistan warns of severe cyclone near Karachi amid forecast of more rains in Punjab
  • Winds and thunderstorms with moderate rain triggered by Cyclone SHAKHTI expected in Sindh, Balochistan
  • Punjab’s top disaster management official Irfan Kathia says rainfall will lash the province again from Oct. 5-7

KARACHI: A cyclonic storm over the Arabian Sea has intensified into a severe system located about 390 kilometers south-southwest of Karachi, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Saturday, while also forecasting more rain in eastern Punjab from Oct. 5 to 7 as the province continues to grapple with flood damage.

At least 1,037 people have died in Pakistan due to heavy rains, floods and landslides during the annual monsoon season between Jun. 26 and Oct. 1, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

More than 3.6 million people were affected across 3,363 villages, with nearly 1.3 million moved to safer areas and hundreds of relief camps established in inundated districts of Punjab, the country’s agricultural heartland.

The floods largely spared southern Sindh, unlike three years ago when Pakistan lost over 1,700 lives and the province was the worst hit. However, winds and thunderstorms accompanied by light to moderate rain triggered by Cyclone SHAKHTI are expected to affect

Karachi, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Jamshoro, Hub, Lasbela, Awaran and Kech districts in Sindh and Balochistan.

“Sea conditions are likely to remain rough to very rough with squally winds of 40-50 gusting 55 km/hour near the Sindh coast,” the PMD said in a statement. “Fishermen are advised not to venture into deep sea till Oct. 5.”

The cyclone is expected to move west-southwest, reaching the northwestern and adjoining central parts of the Arabian Sea by Oct. 5, before changing direction and weakening over the next 24 hours.

The PMD said winds could blow at 90 to 100 kilometers per hour, strengthening to around 110 km/h, with gusts as high as 125 km/h in the following 36 hours.

It said winds would weaken later, but the sea would remain rough to very high over the north-central Arabian Sea.

RAIN IN PUNJAB

Meanwhile, Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said rains are expected to return to the province on Oct. 5 and continue in the northern regions of Pakistan until Oct. 7.

He said the intensity of rainfall may increase on Oct. 6-7, with 50 to 70 millimeters expected in several districts of Punjab, adding that heavy rains could raise river flows to between 100,000 and 150,000 cusecs.

Punjab has been reeling from weeks of flooding that inundated farmland, destroyed crops, displaced thousands and disrupted transport and irrigation networks, leaving many rural communities struggling to recover.

Pakistan remains among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, with scientists warning that rising temperatures are making South Asian monsoon rains heavier and more erratic.

Seasonal downpours provide up to 80 percent of the country’s annual rainfall but frequently cause widespread destruction.

The catastrophic 2022 floods submerged one-third of Pakistan, displaced 30 million people and caused economic losses exceeding $35 billion.