RIYADH – Two Pakistani pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia on foot. They walked for nearly three and a half months to reach Islam’s holiest place to perform the obligatory ritual of Hajj.
On December 2, 2022, Khalid Abdul Ghafoor and Zeeshan from the central-eastern Pakistani province of Punjab left their hometown Faisalabad for Makkah with a trolley carrying their personal belongings.
The duo covered a distance of 30 kilometres in a day to reach their dream destination and finally they entered the Kingdom via UAE border after three months and 12 days. Still, they have 1500km to travel to reach the Holy Kaaba in Makkah.
Expressing their feelings in a conversation with the Pak Media Forum (PMF) in Saudi Arabia, they thanked Allah Almighty for giving them the courage to travel on foot for the holy pilgrimage. As they have entered Saudi Arabia, they wish to reach their destination as soon as possible.
PMF appreciated the courage of Khalid and Zeeshan and welcomed them to Saudi Arabia. It also expressed its best wishes for the duo as they head to the holiest places in Islam.
This year, as many as 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims will be able to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Whereas, half of the available spots (89,605) for the Hajj pilgrimage will be given to Pakistanis living abroad through a sponsorship scheme under the country’s Hajj Policy 2023. It will allow overseas Pakistanis to go on the pilgrimage themselves or finance their relatives in Pakistan by bearing the Hajj expense in US dollars.
