Saudi Arabia Issues Stern Warning To Pakistan | Here’s Why

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has reportedly warned the Pakistan government over the rising number of Pakistani nationals arriving in the nation on Umrah visas, while expressing serious concerns over the beggars from Pakistan flooding its cities. According to the Saudi authorities, several Pakistani nationals are arriving in the Kingdom for Umrah and Hajj and are reportedly engaged in begging, thus misusing the Umrah visas to reach the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

The Saudi Arabia government has warned the Government of Pakistan to take swift action to curb this trend of misusing Umrah visas to reach the holy cities of Mecca and Medina for begging, emphasizing that failure to address the issue could negatively impact the reputation of Pakistani pilgrims participating in Umrah and Hajj.

Pakistan Govt Says It Is Working On Umrah Act

Meanwhile, this trend of beggars abusing visas to beg in foreign countries has Pakistan and its genuine Pakistani visa-seekers worried.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj has formally alerted Islamabad about the increasing incidents of beggars entering the country under the pretext of religious pilgrimage. Officials are worried that the actions of these individuals are tarnishing the image of all Pakistani pilgrims, which could lead to further scrutiny of future travellers.

Pakistan 's Ministry of Religious Affairs has responded to the concerns expressed by the Saudi Arabia government saying that it is working on an "Umrah Act" aimed at regulating travel agencies that facilitate Umrah trips. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Ahmed Al-Malki of the Pakistani government’s commitment to implementing strict measures to address these concerns. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been tasked with leading a crackdown on those misusing Umrah visas.

Earlier as well, Pakistani officials have reported that several Gulf countries have raised concerns about the behaviour of some Pakistani nationals, particularly regarding work ethics and involvement in unsanctioned activities.