ISLAMABAD: Amid reports about a large number of Pakistani pilgrims having gone missing after the recent Mina stampede in Saudi Arabia, President Mamnoon Hussain has asked the ministries of foreign and religious affairs and the Haj mission to expedite efforts to trace them.

According to the president`s spol(esman, the families of some of the missing Pakistanis met him and requested him for speeding up efforts for the recovery of their loved ones.

`The presidency also is in close contact with the authority concerned,` the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, President Hussain telephoned the heads of some Muslim states, offered Eid greetings and exchanged views with them on the Mina tragedy.

He talked to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and expressed grief over the incident.

Talking about multiple problems confronting the Muslims, the president said they should work together to overcome these challenges. He said Pakist an and Saudi Arabia enjoyed brotherly relations which he hoped would be strengthened.

Talking to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, he said Pakistan and Turkey were playing an important role for regional peace.

He expressed the hope that strong bilateral relations would be transformed into strategic cooperation.

Talking to Qatar`s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, the president lauded his country`s efforts to promote inter-faith harmony.

President Hussain also talked to his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani and reiterated that Pakistan wanted brotherly relations with all Muslim countries, including Afghanistan.

He said a peaceful Afghanistan was beneficial for Pakistan and it was making serious efforts in this regard.

He also felicitated the presidents of Bahrain and Azerbaijan on the occasion.