Home ›› World ›› Middle East
Saudi Arabia has raised concerns about the growing number of Pakistani beggars arriving in the Kingdom under the guise of religious pilgrimage and asked Islamabad to take action to prevent them from entering the Gulf country, a media report said on Tuesday.
Citing sources from Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Express Tribune newspaper reported that the Saudi authorities have also warned that if the situation is not controlled, it could negatively affect Pakistani Umrah and Hajj pilgrims.
"The Saudi Ministry of Hajj has issued a warning to Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs, urging action to prevent Pakistani beggars from entering the kingdom under Umrah visas," the paper said.
In response, Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs has decided to introduce an "Umrah Act," which aims to regulate travel agencies facilitating Umrah trips, bringing them under legal oversight, it said.
Additionally, the ministry has asked the Pakistani government to find ways to prevent beggars from travelling to Saudi Arabia under the guise of religious pilgrimage, reports The Economic Times.
Earlier, in a meeting with Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Ahmed Al-Malki, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured him that strict measures would be implemented against the mafia responsible for sending beggars to Saudi Arabia.
