Pakistan: Government efforts to facilitate pilgrimage to the holy shrines

Since the second half of last year and early this year, Pakistan has sought to facilitate the travel of its citizens to Iraq, Syria and Iran to visit the holy shrines.

The efforts were very clear through the visits of some Pakistani officials and their meetings with their counterparts in Iraq.

Twenty-two years after stopping travel to Syria, the first Pakistani plane landed at Damascus airport last September, carrying pilgrims who were eager to visit the Holy Shrine of Lady Zainab, peace be upon her, while the airlines announced that they would operate direct flights twice a week.

After consultations with the governments of Iran, Iraq and Syria during the government of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Islamabad announced a new Hajj policy aimed at increasing religious tourism in the Middle East, and providing facilities and flights at subsidized prices, with the aim of encouraging religious visits.

According to media reports followed Shia Waves News Agency, “the number of Pakistani pilgrims visiting the holy shrines of the Ahlulbayt, peace be upon them, increased at the end of last year and early this year.”

The reports mentioned that the Pakistani government is intensifying its efforts to enhance the country’s international standing, including encouraging religious tourism in Iraq, Syria and Iran.”

The reports also explained that “religious tourism in the past was overlooked and was subjected to great official neglect, but now the situation has gradually changed through the conduct of flights, in addition to Pakistan’s desire to attract tourists from different countries to visit its ancient religious sites.”

In the same regard, the Pakistani Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony suggested that the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) opens the Directorate of Religious Visits offices in Mashhad, Iran, and Karbala and Baghdad in Iraq.

The holy cities of Karbala and Najaf are witnessing a great number of Pakistani pilgrims, which has positively affected the economic movement in the two cities.