Religious Ministry to develop live mobile app to facilitate pilgrims

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Aneeq Ahmed on Wednesday unveiled plans to enhance the Hajj pilgrimage experience through the development of a live mobile app, offering comprehensive information and tracking capabilities for pilgrims.

During a meeting with the Caretaker Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Dr Umar Saif, the two ministers concurred on a collaborative effort to reform the Hajj IT system, aiming to deliver improved services and more efficient handling of pilgrim complaints.

The meeting included representatives from the Punjab Information Technology Board, the National IT Board, as well as key personnel from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony. Aneeq Ahmed expressed his vision to digitize the entire Hajj operation, transforming it into a paperless process from start to finish. He elaborated on plans to establish computerized systems in Saudi Arabia for pilgrim movement and financial transactions and to enhance the efficiency of the private Hajj Group management information system.

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Saif, pledged full cooperation to enhance the Hajj experience and announced that the National IT Board would provide recommendations for improving the current Hajj information system. To ensure the successful development of the new Hajj information system, a team of experts will be designated within the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

He further highlighted that steering committees from both the NITB and PITB would actively engage in the system’s development. Regular weekly meetings within the Ministry of IT and Telecommunications will track progress, marking a significant stride toward enhancing the overall Hajj experience for pilgrims.