'Trying to sendas many pilgrims for Hajj'
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yusuf gives away the 'peace award' to MPA Masroor Nawaz Jhangvi during a ceremony in Islamabad. PHOTO: twitter.com/zalmayzia
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf on Sunday said the government was trying to send as many pilgrims as it could for Hajj, adding that 10,000 more Pakistanis have been permitted to perform the pilgrimage privately.
"We are trying to enable as many of the 179,210 pilgrims to travel for Hajj," the minister said while talking to a private TV channel. "Of that number, 50 per cent are going under the government scheme, and their arrangements are complete.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Religious Affairs will start provision of vaccine to intending Hajj pilgrims from Monday (today).
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Afridi leaves for Hajj: Justice Muneeb sworn in as acting CJP
ISLAMABAD: Justice Muneeb Akhtar was sworn in as the acting chief justice of Pakistan on Friday, following the departure of CJP Yahya Afridi for the annual Hajj pilgrimage Friday. The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Supreme Court in Islamabad, where Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel administered the oath to Justice Akhtar. The event was attended by Supreme Court judges, senior lawyers, and officials from the Attorney General's Office. Justice Muneeb Akhtar, currently third in seniority among Supreme Court judges, will serve as the acting chief justice until June 6. Following this, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah is scheduled to assume the role of acting chief justice from June 6 to 10, during the continued absence of the chief justice. According to sources, CJP Yahya Afridi left for Hajj early Friday morning and is expected to return to Pakistan on June 10, which falls on the fourth day of Eid ul Azha. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Reciprocal tariff talks with US formally launched
KARACHI: In a major move on the economic front, Pakistan on Friday formally initiated negotiations with US authorities over the newly-announced reciprocal tariffs that Washington imposed on a wide range of trading partners, including Pakistan. Khurram Schehzad, Advisor to Pakistan's Finance Minister has revealed that Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Friday held talks with Ambassador Jamieson Greer, United States Trade Representative through a conference call and exchanged their viewpoint on reciprocal tariff with the understanding that technical level detailed discussions would follow in the coming weeks. The talks follow an April 4 announcement by US President Donald Trump, unveiling sweeping import taxes on goods entering the United States. Under the new policy, the US is set to impose a 29 percent reciprocal tariff on Pakistani goods. The measure is part of a broader global tariff strategy affecting over 185 countries and territories. Trump praises 'brilliant' Pakistanis, says Islamabad 'would love to trade with US' The announcement by the US President sparked concerns among Pakistani exporters, who fear the move could disrupt trade flows to US markets and hurt export competitiveness. In response, Pakistan's federal government has moved swiftly to engage US authorities to seek relief or adjustments. Khurram Schehzad, Advisor to Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, revealed on his official X (formerly Twitter) account that formal negotiations commenced today (Friday) via a telephonic conference call between Finance Minister Aurangzeb and US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer. 'Pakistan's formal negotiations on US Reciprocal tariffs kick-started between Muhammad Aurangzeb, Pakistan's Finance Minister and Ambassador Jamieson Greer, United States Trade Representative through a telephonic/conference call on 30th May, 2025', Schehzad said on X. Both sides exchanged their viewpoint through a constructive engagement with the understanding that technical level detailed discussions would follow in the coming weeks, he said and added that both sides expressed confidence in advancing the negotiations for successful conclusion at the earliest. Under the US's new trade policy/tariff regime, Pakistan is among several countries facing steep duties, including India (26 percent), China (145 percent), the European Union (20 percent), and Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Afghanistan (10 percent each). Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Bitcoin Strategic Reserve
Listen to article Pakistan's recent announcement of a state-backed Bitcoin Strategic Reserve is the latest in a series of major shifts in global crypto policy and is earning simultaneous praise and consternation. Though the policy change comes on the heels of the US setting up its own strategic crypto reserve — the largest in the world — the US reserve has been populated with only recovered and seized crypto, and the country has been clear that it does not intend to get involved in mining. Pakistan, on the other hand, must learn from the experiences of El Salvador, which became the first country to fully legalise crypto in 2021 and the first to have a crypto-induced economic crash a year later. Despite Bitcoin having recovered its price since El Salvador has had to scale back crypto purchases and mining to meet the terms of an IMF bailout that was necessitated by the failure of crypto to help improve its teetering economy, which advocates had promised was a sure thing — something that should ring familiar for Pakistanis. Our Bitcoin czar, Bilal Bin Saqib, recently said assets would "never, ever be sold" as a long-term bet on decentralised finance. While this may help a country benefit from price appreciation in the long run, Pakistan's foreign reserves are often little more than pocket change, leaving little wiggle room to spend on crypto without sacrificing elsewhere. Also, Bilal skipped over the point that Bitcoin is still technically illegal in Pakistan under SBP and SECP rules. The pivot to crypto is a high-stakes gamble which, if executed transparently, could attract foreign investment and foster financial inclusion. But the current approach feels more like a technocratic fantasy, that could prove to be two steps back for the economy and a great leap forward for corruption. After all, the Bitcoin advisors include Binance, which does business with the children and companies of President Trump, and World Liberty Financial, which is majority-owned by the Trump family and includes investors who faced fraud charges until the Trump administration dropped the cases against them. Or maybe that is the goal — investors have dropped billions into Trump-owned crypto products. Most of that money will end up in the Trump family's pockets, while the investors have seen benefits ranging from pardons to favourable White House policies.
