Saudi companies’ food mandatory for Pakistani pilgrims

ISLAMABAD: The Saudi Arabian government has made for Pakistani pilgrims mandatory to buy food from Saudi companies, Geo News reported.

Sources in the Ministry of Religious Affairs told Geo News that food will be provided to Pakistani pilgrims at Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah for six days in return of advance payment.

Meanwhile, the sources said, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, in a letter to Saudi officials, stated that Pakistani pilgrims should not be forced to buy food from particular companies as they take meal of different taste.

He demanded of the Saudi government to lift this ban on Pakistani pilgrims as buying of food from these companies would further increase financial burden on them.

The sources added that Sardar Yousuf had also held a meeting with Saudi Ambassador to resolve the issue.