ISLAMABAD: Pakistani pilgrims on Saturday heaped praise on the government of Saudi Arabia for undertaking “impressive” arrangements for pilgrims during this year’s Hajj.
The comments by Pakistani Hajj pilgrims were shared by the country’s Ministry of Religious Affairs on Saturday as Muslims marked the beginning of Eid Al-Adha in Pakistan and other parts of the world.
More than 115,000 Pakistani pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia this year under both the government scheme and private tour operators to perform Hajj.
“I had a very good Hajj experience,” Nadia Sarfaraz, a Pakistani pilgrim from Karachi, said in a video message. “Everything went smoothly and we have no complaints against anyone. The Saudi government is providing support here and our own [Pakistan’s] government is helping a lot too,” she added.
Rabia Babar, a Pakistani pilgrim from Islamabad, praised the Saudi government for facilitating pilgrims, especially women, throughout the Hajj.
“There are separate lifts for women. In Muzdalifah, where we spent the night, the area was fully carpeted,” she said.
This year’s Hajj saw authorities implementing a range of heat mitigation efforts alongside a wide-ranging crackdown on illicit pilgrims — resulting in noticeably thinner crowds and a heavy security presence at holy sites in Makkah and surrounding areas.
“There were [water] coolers and drinking water available everywhere,” Babar said. “They had large refrigerators, and they were providing us water bottles and even shower facilities.”
Faraz Latif, a Pakistani pilgrim who had arrived in the Kingdom from the southwestern city of Quetta, praised both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for undertaking impressive arrangements for Hajj pilgrims.
He said maintaining cleanliness was pilgrims’ responsibility, urging them to learn patience and adopt it in their lives even after the Hajj was over.
“It will help you not just during Hajj but throughout your life,” Latif said.
The first Pakistani flight carrying Hajj pilgrims back to the country is scheduled to arrive in Karachi on June 11.
