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Hundreds of
thousands of Pakistani pilgrims will not be able to travel to Saudi Arabia this
year after Saudi authorities extended restrictions on travelers from 20
countries, including Pakistan.
Saudi Arabia
has extended travel restrictions until May 17.
A large
number of Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan travel to Saudi Arabia every year, but
the number of Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan has been very limited for over a
year due to phased restrictions on international flights.
According to
official figures, the number of Umrah pilgrims leaving Pakistan in 2019 was
more than 2 million, while in 2018 it was close to 1.7 million.
According to
Tehseen Travelers, a Hajj and Umrah tour operator in Pakistan, "bookings
for Umrah pilgrims are made from Pakistan throughout the year, but during
Ramadan, bookings increase by 50 to 60 percent."
Raja
Tehseen, Operational Manager of Tehseen Tour Operator, told Urdu News: “More
than 200,000 people from Pakistan travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah
during Ramadan, but like last year, this year too Umrah will be performed
during the month of Ramadan. Aspiring pilgrims will not be able to travel to
Saudi Arabia.
Raja Tehseen
says that the business of tour operators was severely affected due to the
Corona epidemic, while last year the business was almost halted due to limited
Hajj and Umrah, but after the Corona vaccine, it is hoped that the situation
will improve soon And life will return to normal. '
It may be
recalled that on February 27, 2020, the Saudi authorities announced a temporary
ban on the entry of foreign Umrah pilgrims.
From
November 2020, foreign Umrah pilgrims were allowed to enter the country on a
limited scale with Corona SOPs.
According to
Tehseen Tour Operator, the number of Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan has been very
low due to SOPs and limited number of Umrah visas. Due to the Corona epidemic,
the cost of Umrah also increased due to SOPs, due to which the number of
visitors has been much less than usual. '
It should be
noted that from February 3, 2021, due to the increase in corona cases, the
Saudi authorities once again banned visitors from 20 countries, including
Pakistan, which has been extended until May 17.
Like last
year, this year too, due to air sanctions, Pakistan's state-owned airline PIA
has also suffered severe financial losses.
According to
a PIA spokesperson, the national carrier collects Rs 35 billion in revenue from
Hajj and Umrah, but the company has suffered heavy financial losses due to limited
flights for Umrah over the past one year.
PIA
spokesman Abdullah Hafeez told Urdu News that "every year during Ramadan,
the number of special flights for Umrah pilgrims is increased because the
number of pilgrims during Ramadan has increased dramatically, but this year as
well as last year." Flights for Umrah are closed in Ramadan.
The PIA had
also introduced a special package for Umrah to allow limited Umrah, but the
number of visitors has been lower than usual due to the corona virus, he said.
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