ISLAMABAD: Pakistan kicked off its 33-day-long Hajj flight operation on Tuesday, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said, with flights departing from Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Quetta for the Saudi city of Madinah.
Over 89,000 pilgrims will travel under the government’s scheme during Pakistan’s Hajj flight operations. They will travel to Makkah and Madinah via 342 flights in total, with the last one departing from Pakistan on May 31.
The first Hajj flight for this year, Pakistan International Airlines’ PK-713, departed under the Route to Makkah Initiative from Islamabad at 4:45am, carrying 442 pilgrims. The second flight left the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore at 8:30am, with 147 pilgrims aboard, according to the PAA. The third flight left Quetta with 151 pilgrims and the fourth from Karachi, carrying 285 pilgrims.
Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf and Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki bid farewell to the pilgrims in Islamabad. Yousaf advised Pakistani pilgrims to strictly adhere to Saudi Arabia’s laws and respect the local culture during the annual Islamic pilgrimage and said he would “soon” travel to Saudi Arabia to review Hajj arrangements.
“As Hajj pilgrims, you are traveling to the sacred land as the guests of Allah and ambassadors of Pakistan, and you are urged to respect the laws and culture of Saudi Arabia,” the minister said in a televised address.
“I will take every possible measure to resolve the issues faced by Pakistani pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and will personally be among them to provide facilities.”
The Makkah Route Initiative is designed to streamline immigration processes by enabling pilgrims to complete official travel formalities at their departure airports. Initially tested in Islamabad in 2019, the program was later expanded to Karachi, benefitting tens of thousands of Pakistani travelers. This saves pilgrims several hours upon arrival in the Kingdom, as they can simply enter the country without having to go through immigration again.
Around 50,500 Pakistani pilgrims will travel to Saudi Arabia under the initiative this year. The scheme was launched in 2019 by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and has been implemented in five countries: Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco and Bangladesh.
A total of 28,400 pilgrims will leave for Saudi Arabia through 100 flights from the Islamabad airport, Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry said. Seven special immigration counters have been set up at the Islamabad airport to facilitate pilgrims under the Makkah Route Initiative. The remaining 22,500 pilgrims will avail the scheme at the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.
This year’s annual pilgrimage will take place in June.
In Karachi, the departure ceremony was attended by Saudi Arabia’s Consul General Muhammad bin Nasser Al-Subaie, representatives from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and senior officials from various airport agencies.
“Special arrangements were made at the airport for the pilgrims, including dedicated check-in counters, guidance services, and improved facilities to ensure a smooth and comfortable travel experience,” the PAA said.
“Officials extended their best wishes to the pilgrims for a safe and spiritually fulfilling journey. The Saudi consul general praised the excellent coordination and arrangements made for Hajj operations.”
Punjab Minister for Specialized Healthcare Khawaja Salman Rafique and Balochistan Governor Sheikh Jaffar Mandokhail attended departure ceremonies in Lahore and Quetta, respectively.
Rafique appreciated efforts of the PAA and all concerned departments in ensuring a smooth conduct of Hajj operations and extended his heartfelt wishes to the pilgrims for a safe and peaceful journey.
Balochistan Director Hajj Ilyas Jaffar and representatives of other agencies were present alongside Balochistan Governor Mandokhail at the departure ceremony in Quetta.
“The Honourable governor and other dignitaries requested special prayers for the prosperity of Pakistan and the continued success of all institutions,” the PAA said.
Pakistani pilgrims depart from multiple cities as Islamabad begins Hajj flight operation
https://arab.news/94p3t
Pakistani pilgrims depart from multiple cities as Islamabad begins Hajj flight operation
- Over 89,000 pilgrims will travel under the government’s scheme during Pakistan’s Hajj flight operation
- They will travel to Makkah, Madinah via 342 flights, with the last one departing from Pakistan on May 31
Imran Khan’s party seeks ‘confidence-building measures’ after government’s talks offer
- PTI says access to jailed founding leader essential for talks to be considered credible
- Government says it’s ready for dialogue but nothing will happen until Khan favors the idea
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party said on Saturday it would only consider the government’s offer for talks credible if it is accompanied by “concrete confidence-building measures,” such as unhindered access to its founding leader in a high-security prison in Rawalpindi.
Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government was fully prepared to hold a dialogue with Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to address political polarization that has deepened since the downfall of the PTI administration in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in 2022.
PTI has frequently complained about a state crackdown against its top leadership, including Khan and his wife, who are serving prison sentences in multiple cases ranging from corruption charges to inciting violence against state institutions and attacks on government properties.
Sharif’s offer for talks came amid media reports that PTI wanted a dialogue with the government, though he noted that negotiations would not be allowed to proceed on the basis of “blackmailing” or unlawful demands and would only cater to legitimate issues.
“Announcements of talks, without concrete confidence-building measures, cannot be treated as credible progress,” Azhar Leghari, PTI’s central deputy information secretary, told Arab News.
He recalled that Khan had authorized Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas to carry forward with the dialogue process, adding that talks “require trust, and trust cannot be built at the cost of constitutional rights or democratic legitimacy.”
“For dialogue to be meaningful, it is essential that these authorized representatives are allowed regular and unhindered access to Imran Khan so that any engagement accurately reflects his views and PTI’s collective position,” he added.
Khan’s family, party and legal team have complained in the past they are stopped by the authorities from meeting the ex-PM in prison. Last month, they also raised concerns about his health, prompting the officials to allow one of his sisters to meet him, who said he was fine.
Shortly thereafter, a scathing message was posted on his social media account, criticizing the army chief. Khan’s post elicited a bitter response from the government and the military amid accusations of inciting people against state institutions.
Leghari’s comments came only a day after Rana Sanaullah, adviser to Prime Minister Sharif on political affairs, said PTI’s “second- or third-tier leadership” wanted dialogue, but nothing was going to happen until Khan favored these negotiations.
He also maintained that while the government was ready for talks, “uncertainty and delays from PTI are preventing progress.”
Meanwhile, a newly formed National Dialogue Committee of former PTI leaders told Arab News it had organized a session on Wednesday, January 7, in the federal capital that will bring together all major political parties, journalists, lawyers and representatives of civil society.
“Our goal is to bring political leaders together so that, while discussing their own issues, they can collectively seek solutions to the nation’s challenges,” Mahmood Baqi Moulvi, a Pakistani politician and member of the committee, said.
“The initiative also builds on previous efforts, including a letter to the prime minister requesting confidence-building measures to enable talks with PTI,” he added.
The National Dialogue Committee had urged the government in the letter to grant parole to jailed party figures in Lahore, including former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Dr. Yasmin Rashid, describing the move as vital for building trust ahead of negotiations.
It had also maintained such a step “would not only create an extremely positive, conducive, and trust-filled environment for the negotiations but would also lay a strong foundation for restoring mutual confidence among all stakeholders.”
While the government has also offered dialogue in the past, PTI leaders have conditioned participation on substantive measures, including what they describe as an end to politically motivated prosecutions and arrests, restoration of fundamental rights, respect for judicial independence and a credible roadmap toward free and fair elections.
“Reconciliation is possible, but it must be based on correcting injustices rather than managing optics,” Leghari said. “A genuine reset requires restoring respect for the Constitution, ending political victimization and allowing democratic processes to function without interference.”
Rana Sanaullah and Deputy Law Minister Barrister Aqeel Malik did not respond to requests for comment.
