Makkah, December 10, 2019, SPA -- Pakistani Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Dr. Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, has praised the strong ties between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, describing them as the eternal historical relationship in various fields between the two Islamic countries. After meeting with the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Guides Foundation of Pilgrims of South Asia, Dr. Raafat bin Ismail Badr, the Minister praised the great services provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the pilgrims and its keenness in each year to develop the services which enable them to perform their rituals with ease and safety. The Minister expressed his pride in the Kingdom’s project, “Makkah Road Initiative”, which it implemented during the Hajj season last year, pointing out that 22,000 pilgrims from Islamabad have benefited from it, and this year will benefit about 180,000 pilgrims from four Pakistani cities. -- SPA 15:46 LOCAL TIME 12:46 GMT 0017 www.spa.gov.sa/w1225848