Ferry service for pilgrims awaits NOC approval at Defence Ministry

Ferry service for pilgrims awaits NOC approval at Defence Ministry but the latter continues to delay it.

However, Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi has announced that the ferry service would be launhed soon.

The service aims at ensuring relatively cheaper travel to Pakistanis for Hajj and pilgrimages of sacred shrines in Makkah, Madinah, Iraq and Iran.

Furthermore, the minister emphasised that the country need to launch much-demaned ferry service.

While talking to the media, he said it is purely a commercial project. He said the government would welcome private sector in this regard.

Ali Zaidi said that his ministry sough NOC for launch of ferry service also to Oman port, Dubai (UAE) Jeddah (KSA) and Basra (Iraq).

Much talk no action

Unfortunately, officials from the Pakistan government had made such announcements since long but failed to match their action with their words.

Let alone, incumbent PTI government, its predecessor PMLN’s and prior to that PPP’s governement also annonucd ferry service.

Ferry Service to Chabahar Iran

Specially, oft-repeated statements regarding Ferry Service to Chabahar Iran remain part of record.

The inaction on the project has disappointed Zaireen (pilgrims) of Makkah, Madinah, Najaf, Karbala, Kazimain, Samarrah, Mashhad and Qom.

2015

Ministry of Ports and Shipping ws studying a proposal to launch a ferry service for pilgrims going from Karachi to Iran and Iraq.

Then Minister for Ports and Shipping Senator Kamran Michael chaired a meeting at PNSC in Karachi.

Then, the PMLN government also planned to start a fast ferry cargo service from Pakistan to UAE.

Even the Christian minister declared pilgrims ferry service as a national cause.

Being cheaper than air travel, it continues to remain the best alternative route for people visiting holy places in Iran and Iraq.

He invited the private sector to participate in such ventures.

More than 2 million pilgrims travel to Iran and Iran to visit the Holy shrines every year via land routes of Balochistan. But the several incidents of terrorism against the pilgrims on that route also compelled both Pakistan and Iran government to plann ferry service to avoid any untoward situation.

However, during the tenure of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani also, the PPP government had floated such idea.

Karachi-Iran ferry service for pilgrims is set to begin

Ferry service for pilgrims to Iran & Iraq likely