Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sajid Hussain Turi has penned a letter to Federal Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari suggesting to consider and direct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take up the matter with governments of Iran and Iraq to ease the process of visas and entry of Zaireen in their countries. He has proposed a comprehensive policy for Zaireen adding that this is the need of the hour.
He expressed that every year on the occasion of Arbaeen, thousands of Pakistanis go to Iraq for ziarat e Imam Hussain (peace be upon him), who are facing a lot of difficulties in obtaining visas.
Sajid Hussain Turi has written that some people go to Iraq and Iran on the pretext of pilgrimage and do not return to Pakistan and because of such a handful of people, genuine pilgrims are facing difficulties. He said that since it is difficult for the embassies of Iran and Iraq to scrutinize people who are pilgrims and who are going to work there under the pretext of Ziarat therefore they have made the process of issuing visas more stringent.
Federal Minister Sajid Turi has strongly appealed to Chairman People's Party and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to consider the formulation of a comprehensive policy for Ziarat, according to which Salar should be bound to bring all pilgrims back to Pakistan and strict legal actions under human trafficking laws should be taken against those who do not bring them back.
In his letter, Sajid Hussain Turi writes that "the main issue for the Embassies of Iran and Iraq in Islamabad is the scrutiny of genuine Zaireen and those who pose to be Zayir and later on skip in Iran and Iraq adding this is a serious issue which needs to be addressed. He added that he has already approached FIA to investigate those salars who are involved in human trafficking.
The Federal Minister requested "In my humble view if a mechanism is developed where salars are held responsible for not bringing back to Pakistan the number of people the salar got approval for Ziyarat to Iran and Iraq. In such a manner the issue can be resolved and genuine Zaireen’s will not face any hurdle."
In a letter addressed to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Sajid Hussain Turi has written that Pakistani buses carrying pilgrims should be allowed to enter Iran and Iraq and the land route for pilgrims to Iraq through Mehran or Chelamchi border should be restored.
Sajid Hussain Turi requested Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to consider and direct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take up the matter with respective destination countries' Mission here in Islamabad with a request to kindly ease the process of entry of Zaireen to destination countries.
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