Iran and Pakistan Welcome Increase of Interactions in Hajj and Pilgrimage

According to the Hajj Information Base, Mohammad Talha Mahmood, Minister of Religious Affairs of Pakistan, at the head of a delegation of Hajj officials of Pakistan met and talked with the leader of Iranian pilgrims, Seyed Abdolfattah Navvab, in Mecca.

In this meeting, which was attended by the head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, the Secretary General of the World Forum for the Rapprochement of Islamic Religions and several officials of the Supreme Leader's representative office, the parties discussed the interactions between the two countries in the field of Hajj and Pilgrimage and ways to develop these relations and called for speeding up the level of expanding cooperation between the two countries in this field.

Hojjat al-Islam Navvab recalled the connections and cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad, and pointed to the various fields of cooperation between the two countries and read the viewpoints of both sides in international forums and the condemnation of the crimes of the fake Zionist regime.

Hojjat al-Islam Navvab also mentioned Pakistan's participation in the Road to Mecca plan to transfer part of the country's pilgrims to Saudi Arabia in the form of this plan and the large presence of Pakistani pilgrims to visit blessed places in Iran or leave by land. He considered it to be sacred in Iraq as an indication of the ideological closeness of the people of the two countries.

"It is a source of happiness for the people of Iran that they can be a good host for Pakistani pilgrims inside and when they pass through Iran to Iraq we can serve them," he added.

Head of Iranian Pilgrims said that "we are ready to sign a memorandum of understanding, the contents" of which have been drafted, and added that the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes more and better cooperation with the Ministry of Religion of Pakistan in relation to Pakistani pilgrims.

In the continuation of this meeting, the Minister of Religious Affairs of Pakistan gave an explanation regarding his country's joining the Road to Mecca project and how to implement it in sending Pakistani pilgrims to this year's Hajj and expressed his happiness at the beginning of political relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia that is being witnessed in this year's Hajj.

Mohammad Talha Mahmoud emphasized that "we are eager to develop pilgrimage connections between the two countries and we want to set up a structure that will facilitate pilgrimage between Iran and Pakistan".

Stating that the hearts of Pakistanis are beating to visit blessed places in Iran and Iraq, he clarified,  "We request that the issue of pilgrimage between the two countries be politicized and formulated in the form of a memorandum."

In the continuation of this meeting, Mr. Seyed Abbas Hosseini, the head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization while referring to the large number of Pakistani pilgrims in the pilgrimage cities of our country and Pakistani pilgrims in the Hajj ceremony considered the exchange of information between the two countries as a basis for providing better services to pilgrims and pilgrims.

"The Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, as the executive arm of the Hajj, is ready to share experiences in the areas of accommodation, nutrition, logistics and transportation," he added.

Referring to the activity of 2,500 pilgrimage offices in Iran, head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization said that in the form of these offices, the two sides can cooperate on the issue of pilgrimages inside Iran and Iraqi shrines.

Hojjat al-Islam Hamid Shahriari, Secretary General of the World Forum for the Proximity of Islamic Religions also referred to the holding of the 37th International Islamic Unity Conference in October this year in Tehran and invited the Minister of Religious Affairs of Pakistan to participate in this conference which was welcomed by him.

The Secretary General of the World Assembly of the Proximity of Islamic Religions also pointed to some projects that are being finalized with the cooperation of the neighboring countries of the Islamic Republic of Iran and will have an effect on Pakistan's economy as well, and reminded the need to strengthen security at the borders of the two countries.

"Some takfiri and terrorist groups, with their occasional presence at the borders, create disturbances for travelers traveling between the two countries, and it is necessary for the authorities of Pakistan's border affairs to pay attention to this issue and not allow such incidents to happen again," he added.

Mohammad Talha Mahmoud also pointed to the role and influence of the vast borders of the Islamic Republic of Iran in trade with other countries and expressed hope that the communication between them will become better and stronger day by day.

In addition to pilgrimage, he pointed out the importance of cultural exchanges between the two countries, and said, "We are interested in increasing our communication and interactions with other countries through the borders of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

This Pakistani official opined that the neighboring countries have no way but friendship and brotherhood, and being together will bring them victory and success.

At the end of this meeting, Hojjat al-Islam Navvab considered such meetings and the points raised in this meeting as useful and effective in Hajj and in line with the interests of the two countries and two nations, and increased interactions in the field of Hajj and Pilgrimage in religious relations.