While on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir visited Makkah to conduct Umrah, and the Holy Kaaba’s doors were opened for him.
Gen Munir and a few other persons could be seen leaving the Holy Kaaba in a video that was uploaded to Twitter. The commander of the army was dressed in all-black.
According to local media, the Holy Kaaba’s doors were reportedly opened for the top general in an act of extraordinary hospitality. A Hafiz-e-Quran named Gen Munir offered prayers inside the Kaaba.
In another video, the army chief is seen being accompanied by Saudi security officers as he enters Masjid-e-Nabawi (SAW), the second holiest mosque in Islam.
The army chief embarked on his first trip to Saudi Arabia earlier this week as Pakistan is seeking another financial bailout package from the kingdom to shore up its depleting foreign reserves.
The newly-appointed army chief is on an official visit to the Kingdom and United Arab Emirates (UAE) from January 4-10.
This is Gen Munir’s first official trip outside of Pakistan ever since he took charge as the army chief.