Dar visits Saudi Arabia to discuss stampede deaths

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar along with legal team on Thursday visited Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to discuss latest developments related to Pakistani victims of stampede at Mina during the last Hajj.

"Yes, the finance minister has gone to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to discuss matters related to stampede and Pakistani victims and will return back to Islamabad on early hours of Friday morning,” official sources confirmed to The News here on Thursday.

The Kingdom is contemplating upon different options to compensate those who became victims of stampede that caused martyrdom to around 100 Pakistani pilgrims.

The Kingdom had provided financial assistance to Pakistan at different occasions and when Pakistan decided to go nuclear in 1998, Jeddah had provided oil on deferred payments which was ultimately waived off and Islamabad got free of cost oil from them. With recent stampede episode, many Pakistani pilgrims had become victims and their families were still running from pillar to post to ascertain whereabouts of their dear ones.

In these circumstances, Finance Minister was visiting Saudi Arabia to finalise compensation package for affected Pakistanis and fulfilling legal requirements without any further delay. The minister was also expected to discuss problems being faced by Pakistani authorities to ascertain where about details of those who are still not yet known.—Published in The News