Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Chaudhry Salik, has dismissed claims regarding the “disappearance” of 50,000 Pakistanis in Iraq, as reported by ARY News.
The allegations stemmed from media reports about missing Pakistani citizens in Iraq. The minister clarified that there had been a misunderstanding regarding his earlier comments and refuted the assertion that 50,000 people had gone missing. He emphasized that “false and fake news” had been circulated about the supposed disappearance of these individuals.
In a separate development, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Iraqi Ambassador Hamid Abbas Lafta announced several measures aimed at easing travel restrictions for Pakistani pilgrims heading to Iraq for Arbaeen.
These significant decisions were made during a high-level meeting on Wednesday, where both sides committed to making the pilgrimage smoother and more accessible for thousands of devotees.
It was agreed that Pakistani pilgrims would no longer need to surrender their passports upon arrival in Iraq. Additionally, the Iraqi Embassy will directly issue visas to Pakistani pilgrims, bypassing travel agents, and the quota for pilgrims from Pakistan will be increased.
