ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Hajj Mission has been providing quality food to pilgrims under a government scheme with rigorous checks and oversight during the preparation and distribution processes, a senior official of the mission in Makkah said on Monday.
More than 38,000 Pakistani pilgrims have arrived in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah under the government scheme ahead of this year’s annual Hajj pilgrimage, according to the Pakistani Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Around 179,210 Pakistanis will perform Hajj under both the government and private schemes, for which a month-long flight operation began on May 9. This year’s pilgrimage is expected to run from June 14 till June 19.
“There is a total of nine catering companies employed to fulfill food demands of around 69,000 pilgrims under the government scheme,” Asghar Ali, the Pakistan Hajj Mission’s director for food, accommodation and transportation, told Arab News.
He said the mission had implemented a highly effective mechanism to ensure the food quality, with continuous oversight during the preparation of food and round-the-clock monitoring of kitchens by Pakistani volunteers.
“To ensure the quality of food, a kitchen coordinator is deployed and regular as well as periodic checks are conducted,” Ali said.
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Pakistani pilgrims eat meal at the Pakistan Hajj Mission facility in Makkah on May 15, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan Hajj Mission)
Even after preparation, the quality and quantity of food are rechecked upon arrival at residential buildings and hotels where the mission has arranged for the accommodation of pilgrims, according to the official.
The daily menu includes Pakistani and continental cuisines and the mission has kept the food timings flexible to avoid rush.
“There are currently three types of feedback mechanisms in use, including a digital app that has received 115 food-related complaints, all of which have been addressed promptly,” he said, adding that the complaints registered manually had also been addressed by officials.
“It is through personal feedback in which our coordinators personally ensure a meeting with pilgrims and take their opinion and record it for modification and change.”
In the event of violations, he said, penalties were imposed on catering companies without discrimination.
“There are a total of eight penalties enforced so far on the catering companies, most of them were imposed to improve the quality of food,” Ali added.
![](https://www.arabnews.pk/sites/default/files/pictures/May/3913761/2024/img_2922.jpeg)
Pakistani pilgrim checks food at the Pakistan Hajj Mission facility in Makkah on May 15, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan Hajj Mission)