RAHIM YAR KHAN: A Bangladeshi couple en route for Saudi Arabia to perform Umra on their motorcycles arrived in Rahim Yar Khan on Sunday evening.

Alahe Muhammad Erfan (30) and his wife Afrin Amina (30) entered Pakistan from India through Wagah border on Aug 3 and reached Rahim Yar Khan on Sunday where they would stay for a night.

According to Amina, who could speak Urdu unlike her spouse, they will travel through Balochistan and enter Iran from the Taftan border. They will reach Saudi Arabia after crossing Iran, Iraq and Syria in the next 10 days. Amina terms their journey on motorcycles a very good experience as they are capturing beautiful areas of the countries that are passing through, including Pakistan. She invited Pakistani travelers to visit BD as well.

Erfan said that they spent a month in India during their travel and visited several places. The couple will visit the Rahim Yar Khan Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday. They reached here without any security cover required for foreigners.

Police spokesperson Saif Ali Wains told Dawn that the focal person of Bangladesh embassy had not informed police about the movement of the couple.

He said now security had been provided at the house of their host in Abbasia Town. The police would also provide them security at the time of their departure.

Both Amina and Erfan said they would not forget the hospitality of people of Punjab, especially Rahim Yar Khan, who welcomed them warmly.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2022