RIYADH : Saudi Arabia has decided to give Syria's opposition National Coalition the right to process applications of Syrians wishing to perform the Haj pilgrimage to Makkah, an official said on Monday.The kingdom handled last year's Haj visa applications without cooperating with Damascus. But ...

LAHORE Government of Pakistan will send 270 officials from across the country including 23 from Punjab to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under Hujjaj Muhafiz Scheme of Ministry of Religious Affairs, TheNation has learnt.  Sources in the S&GAD confided that applications from government ...

LAHORE – The Lahore High Court on Monday issued notices to Ministry of Religious Affairs on a civil miscellaneous application complaining for not giving facilities to pilgrims in the light of Haj Policy 2013 and increasing the Haj fares.  The application was moved in an already pending ...

The Islamabad High Court on Friday dismissed bail plea of former director general Haj affairs Rao Shakeel in Haj corruption case.The court had reserved verdict after counsel for the accused completed his argument on Friday.The lawyer told the court his client was imprisoned for the last two years ...

ISLAMABAD - JAVAID-UR-RAHMAN  - The PPP government in its last Haj policy-2013 of present tenure announced around Rs 63,000 increase in total expenditure of Haj as compared to previous year, while the Haj quota will remain will remain 179,210.“Applications for Haj-2013 under Government ...

ISLAMABAD  - The new policy for Hajj-2013 would be finalized after consultation with all the stakeholders for further improving the arrangements to for pilgrims during Hajj this year.“We will consult all the stakeholders to further improve services for our pilgrims during the forthcoming ...

ISLAMABAD - Former Prime Minister and PPP Senior Vice Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani told the FIA on Monday that it has violated the constitution by sending him a notice regarding appointment of Rao Shakil as director general of Haj operations.“The prime minister is the final authority in making ...

MADINA - While most of the pilgrims from Pakistan have gone back after performing Haj, some 15,000 who are still in the kingdom will be reaching Madina during the next few days.A majority of the pilgrims spent at least eight days in the holy city to be able to offer 40 prayers there.The guests of ...

ISLAMABAD  - The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Monday summoned Abdul Qadir Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, and others in connection with the Haj corruption case.The FIA issued summons for Qadir Gilani, his friend Zain Sukhera, Federal Secretary Water and Power ...

KARACHI  - Pilgrims have started arriving home after performing Haj in Saudi Arabia, media reports said. The first flight, carrying pilgrims who performed Haj under private scheme, landed at Karachi airport on Monday night. They arrived via Saudi Airline. The relatives and friends greeted them ...

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Wednesday submitted its progress report on the Haj corruption case to the Supreme Court.According to a private television channel, the report was submitted to the office of the Supreme Court’s registrar.The report stated that Hussain Asghar had been ...

LAHORE - PIA’s first Haj flight PK-2401 from Lahore will take off at 7:10am today (Thursday) from Allama Iqbal International Airport, which carrying 503 intending pilgrims to Jeddah.PIA’s second Pre Haj flight PK-2201 will also take off at 11:25am from Lahore to Jeddah.During the Pre ...

ISLAMABAD  - PIA first Haj flight PK-2501 carrying 416 intending pilgrims will leave here for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to start a month long Pre-Haj operation to airlift Pakistani pilgrims for Haj.Another Haj flight PK-2601 will also depart for Jeddah from Peshawar with 416 passengers on-board, ...

LAHORE – The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Tuesday told the Lahore High Court that the Haj quota of more than 3,700 pilgrims had been retrieved from the defaulter tour operators and 62 more private tour operators had been found tax defaulters while scrutiny of another 105 was in ...

ISLAMABAD - A federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Wednesday approved Haj Policy and Plan 2012.Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira while briefing journalists after the cabinet meeting along with Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khurshid Shah said under ...

ISLAMABAD  - The Haj-2012 policy is likely to be announced on Wednesday or Thursday and the designated banks would start receiving hajj applications from Friday, said an official of Ministry of Religious Affairs. Talking to APP, he said the policy has already been sent to Prime Minister ...

RAWALPINDI – Former Director General (DG) Haj Rao Shakeel Ahmed has also been found allegedly involved in hiding his original age to get appointed as DG Haj.Registering a separate case against Rao Shakeel, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) sought his physical custody from a court to ...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed the Haj agreement 2012, increasing Haj quota up to 10,000 pilgrims. Pakistan Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah said that his country’s request for an additional quota of 10,000 pilgrims to Saudi Minister for Haj Bandar ...

LAHORE–The Lahore High Court on Friday sought details from Ministry of Religious and Affairs about Haj expenditures before issuance of Haj policy.Chief Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed directed the ministry to submit the details till Feb 21.The court was a petition seeking directions for ...

MINA (AFP) - Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims stoned Satan after massing on Sunday in a valley near the holy city of Mina, the last and most dangerous rite of the annual Haj. Hundreds of people have been trampled to death in stampedes which have blighted several previous pilgrimages when ...

Our Staff reporter SIALKOT - The national flag-carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Sunday completed its Haj operation from Sialkot International Airport. The last Haj flight took off from Sialkot International Airport for Jeddah-Saudi Arabia here. The senior PIA officials, management ...

our staff reporter RAWALPINDI - Ministry of Religious Affairs Secretary Shaukat Hayyat Durrani has said that business community was playing a major role in the uplift of the national economy and the ministry would take every possible step to give separate quota for business community for Haj. He ...

Islamabad (Online) - Federal Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah has said the government is ready to privatise the Haj operations after the approval of the parliament. the new Haj policy will soon be announced and the applications for pilgrimage will be received from April 10, said ...

ISLAMABAD The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has formally summoned Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilanis son Abdul Qadir Gilani in the Haj corruption scam after he failed to appear before the FIA to record his statement on Monday. However, the agency didnt offer any official statement what ...

The Saudi government has frozen the bank account of Pakistani Haj mission due to non-implementation of warning given to the Pakistani Haj mission. According to sources, the Saudi officials had warned the Haj mission and Pakistani Consulate in Saudi Arab on 1st Muharram that Bank in Jeddah has 50 ...

LAHORE - PIA has completed its pre-Haj operation with almost 100pc punctuality. The post-Haj operation was started by the airline on 21st November 2010; it was already made public that the flights from Jeddah would face delays due to heavy congestion of returning Hajis from Jeddah Airport, PIA ...

ISLAMABAD (Online) - Special Judicial Magistrate Islamabad, Muhammad Wajid Hussain has extended the physical remand of former DG Haj Rao Shakeel involved in corruption in accommodation for Pakistani pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, to four days Judicial Magistrate Wajid Hussain Mughal extended his ...

LAHORE-Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials arrested Director Haj Rao Shakeel on Saturday from his residence in Model Town here. According to details, FIA Islamabad raided the residence of the accused and transported him to Islamabad. Rao Shakeel will be produced in the court for further ...

ISLAMABAD - Managing Director/CEO Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Muhammad Naeem Malik, bade farewell to OGDCLs Haj contingent comprising thirty staff members here on Friday. Muhammad Naeem Malik congratulated the lucky employees who were selected through a draw to perform Haj this ...

Hamid Saeed Kazmi, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs said Haj Pilgrims are instructed to be careful of drug smuggling as the offense is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia. Talking to private TV channel here on Saturday Hamid Saeed Kazmi said all Haj Pilgrims are instructed to be aware of drug ...