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KUNA 032146 Oct 06NNNN
REL-SAUDI-CHINESE-PILGRIMS

Saudi embassy in Islamabad agrees to issue Haj visas to Chinese pilgrims

ISLAMABAD, Oct 3 (KUNA) -- After weeks of protests, the Saudi embassy here Tuesday announced it would grant Haj visas to Chinese Muslims.

Saudi ambassador, Ali Saeed Awad Asseri, talking to newsmen here said that the embassy after consultations with the Chinese officials decided to issue Haj visas on "humanitarian ground." "They have Chinese passports, Pakistani visas and they are on the doorstep of Saudi embassy so really we don't have any other choice than to treat this issue on humanitarian grounds," said the ambassador.

More than 500 Chinese Muslims, men and women, mostly hailing from Chinas Xinjiang province, bordering Pakistan, had been staging protest outside the Saudi embassy since last month after they were refused Haj visas.

Islamabad is a closer destination for the Chinese Muslims of Xinjiang than Beijing to seek Haj visa and they had been coming to Islamabad for the purpose ever since the Karakoram Highway linking Xinjiang and Northern Areas opened in 1986.

Between 4,000 and 6,000 Chinese Muslims are said to have come to Islamabad this year to get visas to perform Haj. (end) amn