Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and senior members of his cabinet, performed Umrah late Thursday night during an official visit to Saudi Arabia.
The high-profile visit, conducted at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, underscores the strengthening ties between Islamabad and Riyadh amid growing regional and economic cooperation.
In a rare gesture, the door of the Holy Kaaba in Makkah was specially opened for the visiting Pakistani delegation. The leaders offered Nawafil prayers and expressed gratitude for what they described as the success of Bunyanum Marsoos, a reference to ongoing efforts for national unity and resilience.
During the sacred pilgrimage, the prime minister and his delegation also offered special prayers of thanks for recent developments in Pakistan’s economic and social sectors. Supplications were made for the nation’s continued prosperity and stability.
The Pakistani leadership also prayed for the wellbeing of oppressed Muslim communities around the world, with particular mention of the people of Kashmir and Palestine.
The prime minister was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
