Religious Affairs Minister reveals 40,000 pilgrims are missing

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf has revealed that 40,000 pilgrims have disappeared after going to Iraq, Syria, and Iran, and it is not known where they went.

Sardar Muhammad Yousaf says that the Pakistani government does not have records of the missing pilgrims.

Iraq, Iran, and Syria had also raised this issue with Pakistan. Now, the government has introduced a new computerized system to organize pilgrims, under which pilgrims will now travel only through specific registered pilgrim group operators.

So far, more than 1,400 companies have submitted applications to be registered with the Ministry of Religious Affairs as pilgrimage group organizers.

The Federal Minister said that a new integrated system of pilgrimages to the holy places of Iran and Iraq is being introduced. The old caravan system will end soon; interested companies should register with the ministry immediately.

He said that the federal cabinet had approved the new system of pilgrim group organizers (ZGOs), following which the ministry had issued an advertisement.

The 585 companies that have been cleared for security clearance have been instructed to complete the online registration process through the ministry’s website immediately and submit their documents to the ministry before July 31.

He further said that new applications have also been invited through another advertisement under which companies willing to work with the ministry as a ZGO can submit applications by August 10.

In response to a question, the Federal Minister said that along with Hajj and Umrah, the responsibility of pilgrims is also the responsibility of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

In the past, there was no special system for pilgrims going to Iraq, Syria and Iran. The approval to organize pilgrims was given in the year 2021, however, no significant progress could be made on this during the previous government.