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ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) Saudi Arabia has expressed concern over the increasing number of beggars from Pakistan, who are entering the kingdom on the pretext of religious pilgrimage, and has asked Islamabad to stop them from entering the Gulf country. , a media report said on Tuesday.
Citing sources in Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, the private newspaper reported that Saudi officials have warned that if the situation is not controlled, it could have negative effects on Pakistani Umrah and Hajj pilgrims.
“The Saudi Hajj Ministry has issued a warning to Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, urging them to take steps to prevent Pakistani beggars from entering the kingdom on Umrah visas,” the newspaper reported.
In response, Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has decided to introduce the “Umrah Law”, which aims to regulate travel agencies that organize Umrah trips, and bring them under legal supervision.
In addition, the ministry has asked the Pakistani government to take steps to prevent beggars from traveling to Saudi Arabia on the pretext of religious pilgrimage.
Earlier, in a meeting with Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Saeed Ahmed Al Maliki, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured him that strict action will be taken against the mafia that sends beggars to Saudi Arabia.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been ordered to take action against the network, which Mohsin Naqvi said is damaging Pakistan’s reputation.
Pakistani beggars travel to the Middle East on the pretext of pilgrimage. Most people travel to Saudi Arabia with Umrah visas and then engage in begging there, Pakistani Foreign Secretary Zeeshan Khanzada said last year.
Last year, Pakistani Foreign Secretary Arshad Mehmood highlighted the fact that several countries in the Gulf have expressed concern about the behavior of Pakistanis abroad, especially in terms of work ethics, attitudes, and participation in criminal activities.
According to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, a staggering 90 percent of beggars arrested abroad are from Pakistan.
The FIA ​​has been ordered to crack down on a mafia responsible for sending beggars to Saudi Arabia.
A month ago, the FIA ​​had disembarked 11 alleged beggars from a flight to Saudi Arabia at the Karachi airport.
During the immigration process, FIA officers questioned the passengers, who admitted that their intention was to beg for a trip to Saudi Arabia.
In September last year, 16 beggars posing as pilgrims were taken off a plane to Saudi Arabia and arrested as they tried to travel to the Gulf kingdom to beg.
Local media quoted Khanzada as saying that most of the pickpockets arrested inside Mecca’s Grand Mosque were Pakistani nationals.
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(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://dailyausaf.com/pakistan/2024/09/24/61959/
