ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Ministry of Religious Affairs has established its Main Control Office in Mina, Saudi Arabia to facilitate Pakistani Hajj pilgrims, it said on Monday, as millions converged on the tent city to perform the annual pilgrimage. 

Millions of pilgrims arrived at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Sunday to perform Tawaf Al-Qudum as the biggest annual pilgrimage in several years began. It is the first tawaf (circumambulation of the Kaaba) that pilgrims undertake after assuming the state of ihram. 

On the 8th of Dul Hijjah, known as the Day of Tarwiyah, pilgrims embark on the journey to Mina and spend an entire day and night, utilizing this time to prepare themselves mentally and physically for the profound spiritual experience that awaits them at Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) is believed to have delivered his final sermon. 

The Pakistani religious affairs ministry said it established the control office in Mina with the primary aim of providing comprehensive assistance and facilitation to Pakistanis performing the annual pilgrimage. 

“To ensure the smooth flow of information and communication, an Information Cell has been set up within the MCO,” the Pakistani ministry said in a statement. 

“Additionally, a dedicated Lost and Found Cell has been established to help pilgrims retrieve any misplaced belongings. Monitoring Cell has been put in place to closely monitor and address any potential issues of the private pilgrims.” 

Various other specialized units, such as a Wheelchair Desk, have been set up to cater to the specific needs of different groups of pilgrims, according to the ministry. 

It said the establishment of these facilities reflected the commitment to enhancing the Hajj experience and providing a comfortable, hassle-free environment to all Pakistani pilgrims. 

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken by all Muslims with the means at least once in their lifetime. The pilgrimage includes series of rites completed over four days in Makkah and its surroundings in the west of Saudi Arabia. 

This year, Saudi Arabia reinstated Pakistan’s pre-pandemic Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims and scrapped the upper age limit of 65 in January. About 80,000 Pakistani pilgrims are expected to perform the pilgrimage under the government scheme this year, and the rest have been facilitated by private tour operators. 

Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Talha Mahmood, who is in Saudi Arabia, also held a meeting with Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq bin Fawzan on Sunday. 

Mahmood appreciated the Hajj arrangements made by the Saudi authorities for the pilgrims and invited the Saudi minister to visit Pakistan. 

“The Saudi minister of Hajj and Umrah expressed his love for Pakistan and promised to visit the country soon,” Mahmood’s ministry said.