ISLAMABAD: Over 40,000 Pakistani pilgrims have reached Makkah ahead of the Hajj pilgrimage which begins later this month, the religious affairs ministry said on Friday.

This January, Saudi Arabia reinstated Pakistan’s pre-pandemic Hajj quota, allowing 179,210 pilgrims from the South Asian country to participate in the annual Islamic religious ritual. The kingdom also removed the upper age limit of 65 years.

Out of Pakistan’s total Hajj quota, approximately 80,000 pilgrims will carry out the pilgrimage under a government scheme, while the remaining are using private tour operators.

“There are more than 40,000 official Hajj pilgrims in Makkah today,” a spokesperson for the religious affairs ministry said. “By evening, another 3,000 pilgrims will reach Makkah after completing their stay in Madinah.”

Pakistan launched a special flight operation for aspiring Hajjis on May 22. The first group of flights were directed to Madinah, where people performing Hajj under the government scheme spent approximately eight days before traveling onwards to Makkah. The Madinah flight operation has ended while flights to Jeddah started this week.

On Tuesday, the government announced the establishment of a central control room in Makkah, overseen by its Hajj mission.

“The control room will manage transportation from Jeddah airport to Makkah, as well as other logistics in Makkah and Madinah such as residence management, medical facilities, food, and other necessities,” Muhammad Umer Butt, a ministry spokesperson, told Arab News from Saudi Arabia.

The government has also made other arrangements, including the establishment of two hospitals and twelve dispensaries in Makkah and Madinah, to ensure the well-being of pilgrims. On Thursday, Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry said pilgrims were being provided round-the-clock transportation facilities through 190 modern buses to and from the Great Mosque of Makkah or Masjid al-Haram.

Prior to the commencement of Hajj, which is expected to begin on June 26, the ministry said it would increase the number of buses to 360 once all intending Pakistani pilgrims reached Makkah. Bus stops had been set up at various locations around Haram, including Ajyad, Ghaza, Jorwal, and Kadi, while 28 guides had been appointed to instruct pilgrims about internal and external routes of the Haram.

ISLAMABAD: The population of donkeys in Pakistan has increased by around 100,000 to 5.8 million as compared to the previous year, the country's economic survey revealed on Thursday, also showing a significant jump in the population of other animals including cattle, buffalo and sheep.

The fresh data shows that the population of donkeys has steadily increased over the past few years from 5.5 million in 2019-2020 to 5.6 million in 2020-21 and 5.7 million in 2021-22. This year it reached 5.8 million.

Unlike donkeys, there has been no change in the number of camels, horses and mules during the same period, which remains at 1.1 million, 0.4 million and 0.2 million, respectively. 

The cattle population in the country has increased to 55.5 million, buffalo to 45 million, sheep to 32.3 million and goats to 84.7 million, according to Pakistan Economic Survey 2022-23, which shows the trend of macro-economic indicators, development policies and strategies as well as sectoral achievements of the economy.

“The livestock sector has emerged as the largest contributor to agriculture, accounting for approximately 62.68 percent of the agriculture value-added and 14.36 percent of the national GDP (Gross Domestic Product) during FY2023,” the latest survey reads. 

The survey says that animal husbandry is a critical economic activity for rural dwellers in Pakistan, with over 8 million rural families engaged in livestock production and deriving up to 40 percent of their income from this sector. 

The gross value addition of livestock has increased to Rs5,593 billion ($19.8 billion) in FY2023 from Rs5,390 billion in FY2022, indicating a growth of 3.8 percent.  

“The net foreign exchange earnings of the livestock sector contribute around 2.1 percent of the total exports in the country,” it said. 

The government has recognized the potential of this sector for economic growth, food security, and poverty alleviation in the country, and has accordingly focused on its development, it stated. 

The overall strategy for livestock development revolves around promoting “private sector-led development with public sector providing enabling environment through various policy interventions,” according to the survey.

The government said it has implemented regulatory measures to enhance per unit animal productivity by improving veterinary health coverage, husbandry practices, animal breeding practices, artificial insemination services, use of balanced ration for animal feeding, and controlling livestock diseases of trade and economic importance.