Religious Affairs Minister Nurul Haq Qadri said this during a meeting to discuss the facilities available to the Shia pilgrims wishing to pay pilgrimage to the holy shrines in Iran, Iraq and Syria.
He said that each year 6, 00,000 devoted Pakistanis perform pilgrimage to the holy shrines in the above mentioned important Islamic countries.
The minister said meetings would also be held with the authorities concerned to launch ferry service and special flights to the holy sites.
Nurul Haq Qadri added that the government is in the process of consultations with the provincial Balochistan government to provide more facilities to pilgrims at Pak-Iran Taftan border.
In July this year the minister informed a meeting that the government is working to regulate pilgrimage to holy sites in Iran just like Hajj and the ministry presented a bill to the Cabinet seeking approval of new policy.
Earlier Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan while presiding an important high level meeting had directed officials to devise strategy to give services to pilgrims for Iran and Iraq.
The Senate Standing Committee on Interior had also suggested the religious ministry that in coordination with interior ministry they should finalize the Ziarat Policy like the existing Hajj Policy to regulate and facilitate travel of the pilgrims.
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