Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Interior Minister Dr. Nasir Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Dawood inked an agreement to fully implement the ‘Road-to-Makkah’ project on Wednesday, according to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Interior.

During a meeting between two dignitaries, matters of mutual interest and Pakistan-Saudi bilateral relations were discussed.

The meeting, attended by Minister of State for Interior Abdul Rahman Kanju, Secretary Interior Syed Ali Murtaza, and other officials, focused on the Road-to-Makkah program, which aims to provide Saudi immigration facilities to Hajj pilgrims within Pakistan itself.

This initiative is set to eliminate the need for pilgrims to wait and suffer, providing them with greater convenience and comfort. The project has already commenced at Islamabad International Airport and it was agreed to expand it to Karachi and Lahore airports in the next phase to benefit a larger number of pilgrims.

Expressing gratitude to the Saudi government for the initiative, Pakistan’s Interior Minister emphasized that the project was requested by Saudi Arabia to begin from Pakistan.

He also assured the Saudi Deputy Interior Minister that the murder case of a Saudi diplomat in 2011 would be brought to a just conclusion, with the responsible individuals being held accountable.

The Minister raised the issue of Pakistani citizens imprisoned in Saudi jails for minor crimes and requested their early release.

The Saudi Deputy Interior Minister responded by informing that 108 Pakistani nationals have already been released, and investigations are underway for several other cases. He assured the Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to facilitating the early release of such prisoners.

Both sides expressed their willingness to enhance coordination between their respective interior ministries to tackle common challenges effectively.

Source: Pro Pakistani