JEDDAH, 18 January — The first batch of Pakistani pilgrims arrived by a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight at the Haj Terminal of King Abdul Aziz International Airport here early yesterday.
The Haj flight PK-1501 from Islamabad carrying 472 pilgrims touched down at 2.45 a.m. Pakistan Consul General Muhammad Nawaz Chaudhry, Capt. (Retd) Muhammad Yousaf, director (Haj), Saleem Nisar, general manager of PIA, and senior officials of the consulate received the pilgrims.
Representatives of the Saudi Moassasah Mutawaffeen Al-Hujjaj, a contingent of Khuddam-ul-Hujjaj and officials of the Haj Directorate were also present.
After completing airport formalities, the pilgrims proceeded to Makkah. Eight other PIA Haj flights followed, taking the total number of pilgrims arriving during the day to 3,139.
According to a consulate spokesman, 101,877 Pakistani pilgrims will perform Haj this year. While 81,034 of them have opted for government-hired accommodation, the rest — 20,430 — have made their own arrangements for their 40-day stay in the Kingdom.
A total of 281 Haj flights are being operated to bring the pilgrims. The last Haj flight to arrive will be on Feb. 16.
Pilgrims will stay in four categories of accommodation — 600 meters, 1,000 to 1,200 meters, 1,500 meters and 3,000 meters from the Holy Haram. Their respective rents are SR2,150, SR1,800, SR1,500 and SR1,000.
Assisting the pilgrims will be 250 volunteers of Khuddam-ul-Hujjaj, 250 members of the medical mission, 190 seasonal staff, 200 local khuddam and 25 bankers. The khuddam are headquartered at building No. 227, Misfalah, and the main dispensary at building No. 14, Ajyad Sud. Pilgrim welfare arrangements also include nine sector offices, nine dispensaries and three information centers across the holy sites.
