ISLAMABAD by IMTISAL BUKHARI
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf has distributed certificates to 24 authorized Ziyarat Group Organizers (ZGOs) for facilitating pilgrimages to Iran, Iraq, and Syria.
Speaking at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Religious Affairs on Friday, the minister congratulated the newly registered companies and urged them to ensure quality arrangements for pilgrims, including travel, accommodation, food, and other essential services.
He announced that the government has initiated the implementation of a new Ziyarat Policy under which the traditional “Salar system” will soon be completely phased out. Going forward, pilgrims will only be able to travel through registered ZGOs, a move aimed at ensuring transparency, improved facilities, and safer journeys.
Sharing details, the minister said the Ministry of Religious Affairs has so far received 1,413 applications for registration. Out of these, 585 companies have obtained security clearance, while 24 have completed the required documentation and been granted registration in the first phase. The remaining companies will be Distributed certificates upon fulfilling the necessary requirements.
Additional Secretary Religious Affairs Dr. Sajid Mehmood Chauhan, Joint Secretary Ziyarat Ahmed Nadeem Khan, Joint Secretary Administration Sahibzada, Joint Secretary Development Muhammad Bakhsh Sangi, Deputy Secretary Nasir Aziz Khan, and other senior officials also attended the ceremony.
