https://arab.news/59qxb
- Move follows abolition of decades-old Salar system after reports of 40,000 Pakistanis overstaying abroad
- Government barred overland travel for Arbaeen pilgrimage this year, citing militant threats in Balochistan
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf on Friday issued certificates to 24 authorized Ziarat Group Organizers (ZGOs) for pilgrimages to Iran, Iraq and Syria, saying these companies would provide travel, accommodation, food and other facilities to devotees.
Thousands of Pakistanis, mostly Shias, travel to these countries annually to visit religious shrines. The government announced last month it would abolish the decades-old Salar system, under which private caravan leaders managed pilgrim travel.
The decision followed official confirmation that around 40,000 Pakistani citizens had overstayed or gone missing in Iran, Iraq and Syria over the past decade.
“From now on, pilgrims traveling to Iran, Iraq and Syria would only be allowed to do so through registered ZGOs,” the minister said. “Under the new system, pilgrims will be provided with better facilities, a transparent process and safer travel.”
Yousaf told representatives of newly registered companies at a ceremony in Islamabad they were responsible for ensuring pilgrims’ transport, housing and meals.
He congratulated the first batch of firms to be formally licensed under the government’s new Ziarat Policy, adding the existing Salar system would soon be completely phased out.
The religious affairs ministry said in a statement it had received 1,413 applications for registration, of which 585 had secured security clearance.
In the first phase, 24 companies that completed documentation were declared eligible, while the rest will be issued certificates after meeting requirements.
Earlier this year, the government barred overland travel for the Arbaeen pilgrimage, a major Shia religious observance held 40 days after the annual commemoration of Imam Hussain’s martyrdom in Karbala, Iraq, citing militant threats in the restive Balochistan province bordering Iran.
It also said the new Ziarat Policy aims to address long-standing security and migration concerns flagged by host governments, while restoring credibility to Pakistan’s management of religious tourism.