Turkmenistan and Pakistan Discuss Cooperation in Religious Education and Islamic Scholarship
Islamabad, The Gulf Observer: Head of the “Spiritual Mosque of Arkadag” Religious Organization and Chief Imam of the mosque, Yalkap Hojagulyyev, arrived in Pakistan on October 26, 2026, to explore Islamic culture and scholarship, discuss the training of religious studies specialists, and identify opportunities for international cooperation in these fields.
During the first day of his working visit, Hojagulyyev held meetings with Ibrar Ahmad Mirza, Federal Secretary of Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony; Muhammad Raghib Hussain Na’eemi, Chairman of Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology; and Shafiq ur Rehman, a member of Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission.
The discussions highlighted the efforts of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, National Leader of the Turkmen People and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to preserve Turkmenistan’s religious and national traditions and provide favourable conditions for citizens to observe their religious obligations and customs.
The Turkmen delegation also briefed its Pakistani counterparts on the construction of the Spiritual Mosque of Arkadag in the city of Arkadag. Designed to accommodate up to 30,000 worshippers simultaneously, the mosque is expected to become the largest of its kind in Central Asia.
The delegation further informed the Pakistani officials that a higher religious educational institution is being established alongside the mosque to promote religious learning and the preparation of qualified specialists.
Against this backdrop, the two sides discussed prospects for establishing and strengthening cooperation between relevant institutions in Turkmenistan and Pakistan, particularly in religious education, academic exchange and professional training.
Both sides reaffirmed their readiness to expand mutually beneficial cooperation, exchange experience and expertise, and develop educational opportunities aimed at preparing qualified specialists in religious studies.
The visit reflects the shared interest of Turkmenistan and Pakistan in promoting religious scholarship, strengthening institutional ties and expanding cooperation in the field of religious education.
