ISLAMABAD – First flight carrying Pakistani pilgrims departed from Islamabad for Madinah today (Monday), kickstaring the Hajj flight operation for this year.
A spokesperson of Ministry of Religious Affairs, 32,000 pilgrims will be flown to Saudi Arabia through 106 Hajj flights under the government Hajj scheme.
The spokesperson said 42 flights will be operated from Islamabad under Road to Makkah project.
Hajj pilgrims are also being informed about the flights through the website and SMS on their mobile number.
The ministry has urged all Hajj pilgrims not to enter the premises of Riaz-ul-Jannah without prior permission of Saudi authorities as there are some restrictions in place.
It advised to all pilgrims to follow the procedure according to the directives of Hajj Moawineen after arrival to their residence in Madina.
Meanwhile, religious scholar Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi asked the pilgrim to strictly abide by the code of conduct issued by the kingdom.
He said that all kind of political and sectarian activities are prohibited in Saudi Arabia and advised the Pakistani pilgrim to focus only on their religious rituals.
His statement comes in the backdrop of a sloganeering incident occurred in the Prophet’s Mosque during the visit of Pakistan government’s delegation.
Kingdom allowed up to one million people join the Hajj pilgrimage this year, expanding it to foreign pilgrims after two years of Covid pandemic.
The fifth most populous country has been allotted a quota of 81,132 pilgrims for this year’s Hajj, with 32,000 people using a government scheme and 48,000 traveling using private operators.
