The Chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council, Taher Mahmoud Al-Ashrafi, praised Saudi King Salman's order to host 1,300 pilgrims from 78 countries from all over the world to perform Hajj this year, and allowing Qatari citizens passage through Salwa port to perform the rituals.

He also lauded the opening of King Fahad International Airport in Dammam and Al-Ahsa International Airport to welcome pilgrims as guests of King Salman’s program for Hajj and Umrah.

He stated this during a press conference held after Friday prayers by Sheikh Dr. Taher al-Ashrafi at the headquarters of the council in Lahore, eastern Pakistan. He stressed that the Islamic community and the people of Pakistan stand with Saudi Arabia and its wise leadership in the support of the two holy mosques against the evil forces that seek to politicize Hajj.

He condemned all the sectarian strife that the enemies of Islam seek to provoke during Hajj season and their continuous attempts to distort the image of Islam and Muslims. He explained that preventing pilgrims from performing their duties is a deliberate scheme developed by the forces of evil in cooperation with some terrorist groups and their supporters in regional countries.

Sheikh Dr. Taher Al-Ashrafi praised the services provided by King Salman to the pilgrims to meet all the needs necessary to facilitate Hajj and create a peaceful environment for them, providing all services to pilgrims from Qatar, Yemen and from all countries without discrimination or exception.

Al-Ashrafi called on pilgrims coming to Mecca from all over the world to take advantage of their time in the two holy mosques to increase worship and perform Hajj and Umrah rituals and refrain from responding to any attempts seeking to politicize Hajj .

source: Alarabiya