ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry has said in a statement more than 31,000 Hajj pilgrims had reached Saudi Arabia from the country by Wednesday evening, adding that many of them were now beginning to move to the holy city of Makkah from Madinah.
The kingdom restored Pakistan’s pre-pandemic Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims in January and removed the upper age limit of 65. The country plans to send 80,000 people to perform pilgrimage under the government scheme while the rest of them will be facilitated by private tour operators.
“According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Religious Affairs, 31,241 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia through 53 flights as of Wednesday, May 31,” the ministry said in an official statement. “More than 27,000 of these pilgrims are staying in Madinah, and over 4,000 have reached Makkah by modern buses.”
“The first direct flights from Pakistan to Jeddah Airport are scheduled to begin on June 5,” it added.
So far, the Hajj flights from the country have only landed in Madinah.
Pakistan’s director-general of Hajj Abdul Wahab Soomro, who is currently in the kingdom, visited the two holy cities to monitor pilgrimage arrangements.
The statement said various departments within the ministry, including the complaints cell, were working diligently to ensure a smooth and comfortable Hajj experience for the pilgrims.
To cater to the medical needs of the pilgrims, 137 doctors and paramedics have also been deployed by the Pakistan Hajj Medical Mission.
Special monitoring teams of the ministry have also been inspecting various residences and accommodations to review the facilities provided under both public and private Hajj schemes.
