ISLAMABAD: A total of 11,418 Pakistani pilgrims have returned in the post-Hajj flight operation so far, the country’s religion ministry said on Sunday.
Pakistan began its post-Hajj flight operation with the arrival of PIA flight PK-732 in Islamabad on June 11, carrying 307 pilgrims. The country is expected to conclude the operation on July 10, with the last flight carrying Hajj pilgrims to land in Islamabad.
This year’s Hajj took place from June 4 to June 9, drawing millions of pilgrims to the holy cities. Pakistan sent over 115,000 pilgrims under both the government and private schemes.
“As of Saturday, June 14, a total of 11,418 pilgrims have returned home,” a spokesperson of Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony said in a statement. “On Sunday, June 15, another 4,995 pilgrims will arrive in the country through 20 flights.”
The spokesperson said six flights carrying Hajj pilgrims will each land in both Islamabad and Lahore, while four will arrive in Karachi, three in Multan and one in Quetta on Sunday.
Of the 20 flights, eight will be operated by the state-run Pakistan International Airlines, five by Saudia, four by Airblue, two by AirSial and one by Serene Air.
“Despite global air traffic disruptions, Pakistan’s post-Hajj flight operation is successfully going on,” the ministry said, referring to the recent diversion of flights due to the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.
The spokesperson advised Pakistani pilgrims to ensure their return journey remained a “smooth” one by maintaining discipline.
“Pilgrims should ensure their baggage weight complies with the limit stated on their air tickets,” he said, advising pilgrims to reach their respective airports in Saudi Arabia six to eight hours before departure.
Over 11,410 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims return from Saudi Arabia
https://arab.news/4v744
Over 11,410 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims return from Saudi Arabia
- Another 4,995 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims to return via 20 flights on Sunday, says religion ministry
- Pakistan sent over 115,000 pilgrims under both government, private schemes for Hajj this year
Death toll in Pakistan shopping plaza fire rises to 67, officials say
- Rescue teams still searching for damaged Gul Plaza in Karachi where blaze erupted on Saturday, says police surgeon
- Karachi has a long history of deadly fires, often linked to poor safety standards, weak regulatory enforcement
KARACHI: The death toll from a devastating fire at a shopping plaza in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi jumped to 67 on Thursday after police and a hospital official confirmed that the remains of dozens more people had been found.
Police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed said rescue teams were still searching the severely damaged Gul Plaza in the Karachi, where the blaze erupted on Saturday.
Most remains were discovered in fragments, making identification extremely difficult, but the deaths of 67 people have been confirmed, she said. Asad Raza, a senior police official in Karachi, also confirmed the death toll. Authorities previously had confirmed 34 deaths.
Family members of the missing have stayed near the destroyed plaza and hospital, even after providing their DNA for testing. Some have tried to enter the building forcibly, criticizing the rescue efforts as too slow.
“They are not conducting the search properly,” said Khair-un-Nisa, pointing toward the rescuers. She stood outside the building in tears, explaining that a relative who had left to go shopping has been missing since the blaze.
Another woman, Saadia Saeed, said her brother has been trapped inside the building since Saturday night, and she does not know what has happened to him.
“I am ready to go inside the plaza to look for him, but police are not allowing me,” she said.
There was no immediate comment from authorities about accusations they have been too slow.
Many relatives of the missing claim more lives could have been saved if the government had acted more swiftly. Authorities have deployed police around the plaza to prevent relatives from entering the unstable structure, while rescuers continue their careful search.
Investigators say the blaze erupted at a time when most shop owners were either closing for the day or had already left. Since then, the Sindh provincial government has said around 70 people were missing after the flames spread rapidly, fueled by goods such as cosmetics, clothing, and plastic items.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, though police have indicated that a short circuit may have triggered the blaze.
Karachi has a long history of deadly fires, often linked to poor safety standards, weak regulatory enforcement, and illegal construction.
In November 2023, a shopping mall fire killed 10 people and injured 22. One of Pakistan’s deadliest industrial disasters occurred in 2012, when a garment factory fire killed at least 260 people.
