ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry unveiled the Hajj flight schedule on Tuesday, saying pilgrims would begin to depart from various cities on May 21 while asking people carrying out the spiritual journey this year to abide by all the necessary requirements to travel to Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to the state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency, a ministry spokesperson, Muhammad Umar Butt, said pilgrims were advised to obtain necessary vaccines and essential medicines from the Hajji Camps, as outlined in the Hajj schedule.

He urged everyone to abide by the instructions to ensure seamless communication and coordination.

“As per the released schedule, the first Hajj flights from major cities, including Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi, were set to take off on May 21, marking the commencement of the much-anticipated journey, as confirmed by the ministry’s spokesperson,” the APP reported.

The ministry’s spokesperson also informed the initial departures from Sialkot, Multan, and Quetta cities were scheduled to take off on May 22, May 23, and May 24, respectively.

Butt said the first Hajj flights for pilgrims in Rahim Yar Khan and Sukkur were scheduled for June 6 and June 7.

He added the last Hajj flights would depart on June 20 to give pilgrims ample time to complete their all sacred religious rituals within the allocated timeframe.

Hajj is a spiritual journey that every Muslim adult must undertake once in his lifetime to the holy sites in Makkah and Madinah if they are financially and physically able to do so. It is one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith.

Saudi authorities have been working with Pakistani officials to facilitate pilgrims by signing an agreement related to the Makkah Route Initiative which allows people to fulfil all the immigration requirements at the airports of their own countries which makes it easy for them to enter the kingdom upon arrival.