Pakistan pre-Hajj flight operation concludes — PIA spokesman

KARACHI: A spokesperson for Pakistan’s national carrier said on Tuesday the airline’s pre-Hajj operation had been “successfully completed,” with the last PIA flight operating from Karachi to Jeddah on Monday night.
Pakistan kicked off its Hajj flight operations on May 9 for pilgrims who will perform the pilgrimage under the government’s scheme. 
Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims this year, of which around 70,000 people are expected to perform the pilgrimage under the government scheme while the rest will use private tour operators. This year’s pilgrimage is expected to run from June 14-19.
“A total of 35,030 pilgrims departed for the holy journey through 171 flights,” PIA said in a statement by its spokesman. “About 19,500 official pilgrims, 14,900 private pilgrims and 630 pilgrims departed for Madinah and Jeddah through these flights.”
Hajj flights departed directly from Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Sialkot and Peshawar while pilgrims from Sukkur and Quetta traveled to Jeddah via Karachi.
PIA’s post-Hajj operation will start on June 20 and continue until July 21. 
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, requiring every adult Muslim to undertake the pilgrimage to the holy Islamic sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime if they are financially and physically able.
A 400-member dedicated Pakistan Hajj Medical Mission is also working around the clock to serve Pakistani pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan has established two hospitals and 11 dispensaries in the Saudi cities of Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah to provide health care to Hajj pilgrims.
A government official said earlier this month out of Pakistan’s total quota of 179,210 pilgrims, around 160,000 pilgrims are expected to perform the pilgrimage.