ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has finalized arrangements for this year’s Hajj and the first flight will leave the country for Saudi Arabia on April 18, the Pakistani religious affairs minister said on Sunday, adding they will provide 25,000 pilgrims the high-speed Haramain train service for travel between Makkah and Madinah.

According to the religious affairs ministry, 179,210 pilgrims from Pakistan will perform Hajj this year. Of these, 119,210 pilgrims will travel under the government scheme, while 60,000 will go through private tour operators.

In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf said the Hajj operation was being completed according to the timeline provided by Saudi authorities.

“The first stage of our Hajj training has been completed. The second stage will start after Ramadan,” he said. “And the first flight will leave on April 18.”

Multiple airlines, including the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Saudia, will operate Hajj flights, according to the minister.

Pakistani pilgrims departing from Lahore, in addition to Islamabad and Karachi, will benefit from the Makkah Route Initiative this year. The initiative allows them to complete immigration procedures in Pakistan before departure.

“This is a very big facility. Because the immigration from here through the Route to Makkah means the Hajjis do not have to wait at the airport there,” he said.

“They directly sit in their buses and go straight to their accommodation and rooms. This is a very big facility from the Saudi government to Pakistan.”

HIGH-SPEED TRAIN SERVICE FOR PILGRIMS

Around 25,000 Pakistani pilgrims will be able to travel between Makkah and Madinah using the Haramain High-Speed Railway service this year, according to Yousuf.

The railway service connects the two holy cities via Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City along a 453-kilometer line and operates trains with speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour.

“This is the first time we are doing this. This is a pilot project,” the minister told Arab News. “We will try to estimate how much convenience the Hajjis get by traveling by train. Because the train takes only about two hours, while a bus takes around five to six hours.”

All pilgrims will get equal accommodations with improved standards.

“It is important that the accommodation standards remain equal. All the accommodations we have arranged this time, I am going to visit them now, there may be a small difference, but not a significant one,” Yousuf said.

“Because we have one category of Hajjis under the government scheme, the arrangements will be equal for them.”

MIDDLE EAST CRISIS

Asked if ongoing hostilities between the United States, Israel and Iran could affect the Hajj operations, the minister said it depends on how events unfold in the coming days.

“God forbid that the war continues. It depends on the situation. If such a situation arises, it could have an impact. Not only we will be affected, but the whole region will be affected,” he said. “But for now, we have completed our preparations.”

He said visas for pilgrims were currently being processed, while accommodation in Saudi Arabia had already been secured.

“Transport has been arranged, catering has been arranged, consultations have been completed,” he said.

“All our ministries have completed their preparations, and the private sector has also finalized arrangements according to the timeline.”

PAKISTAN–SAUDI ARABIA TIES

The minister thanked the Saudi government for providing extensive facilities to Pakistani pilgrims each year.

“The Saudi government has always been good to us. They treat the pilgrims as guests of Allah, and they consider serving them a great honor,” he said.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share long-standing religious, cultural and brotherly relations. Both countries have moved closer to broaden their cooperation in recent months, signing a landmark defense pact in Sept. and agreeing to launch an economic cooperation framework a month later to strengthen bilateral trade and investment relations.

Yousuf said the relations between the two countries had strengthened further after the signing of the defense pact last year.

“As far as the defense agreements and other cooperation are concerned, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are like one life and two hearts,” the minister said.

“We stand with Saudi Arabia in every difficulty, just as they stand with us in ours. And, God willing, this will continue.”

Yousuf urged Pakistani pilgrims to respect Saudi laws and follow Hajj training guidelines.

“This year we have given special attention to training so that pilgrims have complete knowledge of how to perform Hajj properly,” he said.

“At the same time, they must respect and follow the rules and regulations of the Saudi government.”