ISLAMABAD – Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, disclosed in a briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony that approximately 50,000 Pakistani pilgrims have gone missing after traveling to Iraq for religious visits.
The briefing, held under the chairmanship of Senator Ata-ur-Rehman, highlighted the emerging issues with the management of pilgrims traveling to Iraq. Chaudhry Salik Hussain outlined that a new policy is being developed to address these concerns. He explained that the monitoring of pilgrims is conducted in groups at the Taftan border, with 136 groups being sent for religious visits.
The Minister noted that while the Iraqi government provides free visas for pilgrims, some tour operators are charging additional fees ranging from $80 to $90 for these visas. He emphasized that recent discussions with the Iraqi ambassador revealed that the unauthorized disappearance of pilgrims is partly due to these excessive fees.
The committee also reviewed the issues faced by pilgrims at the Taftan border. Senator Raja Nisar Abbas highlighted that pilgrims often face long wait times and lack of basic facilities. He also pointed out that food and drink prices at the border are excessively high and of poor quality.
Chaudhry Salik Hussain stated that efforts are being made to resolve these issues in collaboration with provincial governments. He emphasized that addressing these problems requires coordinated action with provincial authorities and chief secretaries to improve the overall management of pilgrim visits.
The committee decided to place this issue on the agenda and work with relevant agencies to develop a comprehensive policy aimed at improving the conditions for Pakistani pilgrims traveling to Iraq and other destinations.
