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ISLAMABAD, October 13: The Patron in-Chief of Supreme Shia Ulama Board and Head of Tehreek e Nifaz e Fiqah Jafariya Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi has said that the governments of Iran and Iraq must eliminate the requirement of Visas for Pakistani pilgrims Zaireen. Steps taken by the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Iraq to resolve visa problems are worth appreciating while we are also grateful to the Iranian government for facilitating Pakistani Zaireen. Government of Pakistan must take concrete actions to permanently resolve issues faced by the Pakistani Zaireen. The matters of poor Zaireen must not be operated like a business opportunity. Previous government sabotaged the National Action Plan by handing over the matters of Zaireen to proscribed groups, current government must take rectifying actions and avoid past mistakes. Media fulfilled its national responsibility by exposing extortion mafia looting the poor Zaireen. Law must act to bring the miscreants to justice. A sea of people moving towards Karbala on Arbaeen e Hussaini proves that Hussain (A.S) belongs to Almighty and Hussain (A.S) belongs to everyone. That is why people belonging to every country, religion, and sect are offering tributes to the eternal sacrifice of Imam Hussain (A.S). He said this while addressing to a delegation of Zaireen led by TNFJ’s Secretary for Hajj o Ziaraat wing Allama Muhammad Abbas Zaini.

Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi reiterated his demand to start Quetta-Zahidan Rail service which will also strengthen CPEC, ship and ferry services for Zaireen must also be started, cost of air-travel must be reduced through decrease in duty fees, number of security convoys must be increased for Zaireen travelling by road while convoy dates must be set and announced so that Zaireen do not have to wait much in Quetta or Taftan which sometimes even causes starvation for poor Zaireen while the proscribed groups take benefit of the situation and try to provoke them. Rules and regulations for Zaireen’s travel along with the days of departure and arrival must be publicized through channels, newspapers and social media so that Zaireen could formulate their travel plans accordingly. Quetta-Taftan route must be completely handed over to the army so that no terrorist could even dare to look this way. Provincial and Central governments must formulate a coordination committee to cooperate with Tehreek e Nifaz e Fiqah Jafariya (TNFJ) which must comprise of authorized and empowered government officials who could be contacted for taking immediate actions during any critical situation. Medical assistance for Zaireen must be provisioned on permanent basis for Zaireen in Quetta and Taftan, Air-Ambulance must be arranged, basic facilities must be improved in Taftan and Complaint desks for Zaireen must be set up in the federal capital Islamabad as well as the Provincial capitals to further facilitate and improve the arrangements. Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi said that right from the government of Musharraf to the present government, the dignitaries of TNFJ have been intimating the authorities about the problems faced by Zaireen while also informed the relevant ambassadors. As per the process, governments must have facilitated Pakistani citizens embarking upon a sacred journey by themselves however, it is unfortunate that rulers and politicians are preoccupied in their own engagements and their ignorance incremented the problems faced by the Zaireen manifold during the last few years. He said that not only Muslims but even the non-Muslims of Pakistan consider visiting the holy Shrines of Islam’s heroes in Iran, Iraq and Syria as an honor and source of blessings. Poor Zaireen who cannot afford to travel by air spend their all savings to go and offer tributes to these sacred personalities who protected the signs of Islam. Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi said that pilgrimage to the shrines of Prophets and Saliheen tears the veils of ignorance and reminds about the true values and teachings spread by these sacred personalities of Islam. By offering Ziarat of sacred sites, peoples’ faith gets strengthened. He appealed to the Zaireen to inform Zaireen coming from other parts of the world about problems of Kashmir and Palestine and offer special prayers for the unity of Islamic world, strength of Pakistan and resolution of issues in Kashmir, Palestine, Bahrain, Yemen and Qateef.

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