Pakistan concludes month-long pre-Hajj flight operation

In this handout photograph, taken and released by the Saudi Press Agency on May 26, 2024, Saudi official handover passport to the Pakistani pilgrim at the Jinnah Internation Airport in Karachi. (SPA)

• Pakistan started flight operations to transport around 70,000 pilgrims on May 9
• Last Hajj flight leaves for Saudi Arabia with 380 Pakistani pilgrims, says religion ministry

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan concluded its month-long pre-Hajj flight operations on Monday, the country’s religion ministry confirmed, after the last flight carrying pilgrims performing the Hajj under the government’s scheme left for Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan kicked off its pre-Hajj flight operations to Saudi Arabia on May 9 to transport pilgrims who will perform the pilgrimage under the government’s scheme. Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims this year, of which around 70,000 people are expected to perform the pilgrimage under the government scheme while the rest will use private tour operators. This year’s pilgrimage is expected to run from June 14-19.
The last flight which was a part of the Hajj operation left for Saudi Arabia with 380 Pakistani pilgrims on Monday, the country’s Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) said in a statement.
“The successful operation is a result of the Ministry of Religious Affair’s tireless efforts,” Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Pakistan’s minister for religious affairs, said.
Hussain described Hajj as a “sacred” duty for Muslims, saying that the government will continue its efforts to provide all facilities for the pilgrims.
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, requiring every adult Muslim to undertake the pilgrimage to the holy Islamic sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime if they are financially and physically able.
A 400-member dedicated Pakistan Hajj Medical Mission is also working around the clock to serve Pakistani pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan has established two hospitals and 11 dispensaries in the Saudi cities of Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah to provide health care to Hajj pilgrims.
A government official said earlier this month that out of Pakistan’s total quota of 179,210 pilgrims, around 160,000 pilgrims from the country are expected to perform the pilgrimage.