The Islamic Republic of Pakistan emerged as an independent country through the partition of India in August 1947 and was admitted as a United Nations member state in September 1947. It is currently the second-largest country within the Muslim world in terms of population, and is also the only Muslim-majority country in possession of nuclear weapons. De facto, the country shares direct land borders with India, Iran, Afghanistan, and China.
The Government of Punjab is the provincial government of the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is based in Lahore, the provincial capital. Its powers and structure are set out in the provisions of the Constitution, in which 41 districts come under its authority and jurisdiction. The government includes the cabinet, selected from members the Punjab Provincial Assembly, and the non-political civil staff within each department. The province is governed by a unicameral legislature with the head of government known as the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister, invariably the leader of a political party represented in the Assembly, selects members of the Cabinet. The Chief Minister and Cabinet are thus responsible for the functioning of government and are entitled to remain in office so long as it maintains the confidence of the elected Assembly. The head of the province is known as the Governor, appointed by the federal government, on behalf of the President, while the administrative boss of the province is Chief Secretary Punjab.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a ministry of the Government of Pakistan tasked in managing Pakistan's diplomatic and consular relations as well as its foreign policy. The MOFA is also responsible for maintaining Pakistani government offices abroad with diplomatic and consular status.
The Ministry of Defence, is an executive ministry of the federal Government of Pakistan, tasked in defending national interests and territorial integrity of Pakistan. The MoD oversees mission execution of its policies and supervises all agencies of the government directly related to the national security and the Pakistan Armed Forces.
Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and of supporting their family during their absence from home.
The Ministry of Interior is a Cabinet-level ministry of the Government of Pakistan, tasked and primarily responsible for implementing the internal policies, state security, administration of internal affairs involving the state.
Sardar Muhammad Yousuf Gujjar became the minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, in the Abbasi cabinet from August 2017 to May 2018. A leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Sardar Muhammad Yousuf had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan when he had an alliance with Shahzada Muhammad Gushtasip Khan Swati which he then broke from 1990 to 1999 and again from June 2013 to May 2018. He previously served as Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony in the third Sharif ministry from 2013 to 2017. He also served as a member of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from August 2018 to January 2023.
Syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi is a Pakistani politician who served as the 28th Federal Minister for Religious Affairs of Pakistan from 2008 to 2010 as part of the Pakistan People's Party government. He hails from Multan.
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (abbreviated as MoIB) is a Cabinet-level ministry of Government of Pakistan, responsible to release government information, media galleries, public domain and government unclassified non-scientific data to the public and international communities. The MoIB has jurisdiction for administrating the rules and regulations and laws relating to information, broadcasting and the press media in Pakistan.
Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood was a Pakistani general category member of the Senate of Pakistan from Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who was the Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony, in office from 20 April 2022 till 10 August 2023.
Pir Muhammad Amin Ul Hasnat Shah is the Custodian of Hazrat Amir us Salikeen RA, Bhera Sharif, Pakistan. Pir Muhammad Amin Ul Hasnat Shah is the Chancellor of Al Karam International Institute and Dar ul Uloom Muhammadia Ghousiya. He was also a Pakistani politician who served as Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, in Abbasi cabinet from August 2017 to May 2018. Previously he served as the Minister of State of Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony from 2013 to 2017 in third Sharif ministry. He had been a member of National Assembly of Pakistan from June 2013 to May 2018.
Shahzada 'Prince' Jamal Nazir is a Pakistani politician. In 2011, he was appointed by Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani as adviser with the status of Federal Minister of State for the Ministry of National Regulations and Services. In 2013, he served in the interim cabinet as the Federal Minister for four ministries that included Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ministry of National Interfaith Harmony, Ministry of National Health Services Regulations & Coordination, and Ministry of National Heritage & Integration. Currently, he is serving as Member National Commission on Minorites as a former Minister for National Interfaith Harmony.
Muhammad Abbas Khan Abbasi also known as Alhaj Mohammad Abbas Khan Abbasi, was the Nawab and later Amir of the Bahawalpur State. He was also a Brigadier in the Pakistani Army, Governor of Punjab and member of the Bahawalpur royal family.
The federal secretary is the highest-ranking position in the Government of Pakistan, occupied by the most senior civil servant in a specific ministry or division. The secretary is the administrative head of that ministry or division and oversees and enforces public policy matters. The authority for the creation of this post solely rests with the Cabinet of Pakistan. The position holder is a BPS-22 grade officer, usually belonging to the Pakistan Administrative Service.
Mufti Abdul Shakoor was a Pakistani politician who served as the Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony from 2022 to 2023. He was a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2018 to 2023.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (MHU) (Arabic: وزارة الحج والعمرة) is a government ministry in Saudi Arabia which is responsible for supervising the facilitation of essential services to the pilgrims arriving in the country for Hajj and Umrah purposes, including overseeing their secure transportation and movement to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi is a SRPM for middel east and islamic countries
The COVID-19 pandemic affected the 2020 Hajj (pilgrimage), which is the fifth pillar of the Five Pillars of Islam, where millions of Muslims from around the world visit Mecca and Medina every year during Hajj season for a week. Over 2,400,000 pilgrims attended Hajj in 2019. Due to the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 in crowded places, various international travel restrictions, and social distancing recommendations, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah advised Muslims to postpone their pilgrimage until the pandemic was mitigated. However, in June 2020, the Ministry opened up Hajj to people of all nationalities residing in Saudi Arabia, with foreigners still banned from attending to ensure pilgrims' safety and prevent the transmission of COVID-19.
The Pakistan Hindu Mandir Management Committee is the first of its kind instituted by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony in Pakistan. The committee was formed to oversee the affairs of Hindu places of worship in the country.
Haq Nawaz Akhtar, also known as H. N. Akhtar, was a Pakistani writer and public servant. His career spans across public service and literature. He has served in various capacities in the Government of Pakistan. As a Federal Secretary, he served in the Communication Division and the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony. In the literary world, Akhtar is known for his Urdu literature, including the book Elaan-e-Junoon and several ghazals. He is also the author of If Truth be Told: An Alternate History of Pakistan, providing an alternate perspective on the history of Pakistan.
