JEDDAH, 1 January 2004 — Pakistan’s 130,000 Haj pilgrims will be accommodated in 312 buildings, 47 percent of them within 800 meters of the Holy Haram, according to a top official of the Pakistan Haj Directorate. “All buildings are within 1,300 meters of the Holy Haram,” Director General Shahid Khan told reporters on Tuesday.
Buildings in Madinah have also been finalized, he said, adding that 19 of the 184 buildings meant for Pakistani pilgrims are within 700 meters of the Prophet’s Mosque.
The directorate’s 50-bed hospital, located in the Darul Harmain area, is fully geared to serve pilgrims with its many facilities including both male and female wards, an outpatients department, an operation theater and even an ultrasound department.
Speaking about the arrangements for Pakistani pilgrims, he said the directorate had divided the Makkah region into eight sectors, each equipped with a dispensary, ambulance service, information department and Internet facility.
The Pakistan Ministry of Religious Affairs, in cooperation with the Haj Directorate, has set up its own website to update pilgrim information, he said.
Regarding lost pilgrims and the transportation from Makkah to Madinah, he said: “We have appointed 800 local servicemen, and each of whom will be provided with a mobile phone and gown — with the Pakistan logo embossed on it — so people can easily identify them.”
Answering a question about the pilgrims’ arrival, he said, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is operating 365 flights for the 130,000 pilgrims. So far 7,799 pilgrims have already arrived on 25 flights. We have transferred 20 percent of the pilgrims to Madinah to pray at the Prophet’s Mosque.
All the pilgrims are in good health, with only a few of them having minor problems, like fever and high blood pressure.
One woman gave birth to baby girl after her arrival. Both mother and baby are in good condition and staying in the building arranged for pilgrims in Makkah, he said.
Information regarding pilgrims can be obtained from www.hajjinfo.org.
