KARACHI – A 44-member delegation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia arrived in Karachi to install the counters for the immigration clearance of pilgrims.
The delegation from the KSA’s immigration and technical departments arrived after Pakistan announced to launch the ‘Road to Makkah’ project from Jinnah International Airport Karachi.
As pilgrims departing for the holy kingdom from Karachi would have their immigration formalities completed at the airport, the country’s Civil Aviation Authority has established eight counters near Gate No 24 in the international departure lounge.
The Saudi immigration authorities will install their own immigration system so that the pilgrims could be saved from the immigration hassle at the airports in Saudi Arabia.
Karachi airport would be handling 19,231 pilgrims from Karachi, Sukkur and Quetta; All of these pilgrims would be having their immigration formalities done at the airport.
The first pre-Hajj flight is scheduled for departure on May 9 and the flight operation would continue for around a month as the Hajj is scheduled in June this year.
Pilgrims heading for the religious pilgrimage will have an 8.5GB SIM card besides a code that will be affixed to their luggage ensuring a hassle-free transfer to their designated accommodations in the holy land.
For the first time, the Saudi immigration staff will be responsible for handling the immigration process of pilgrims at Karachi Airport as part of the ‘Road to Makkah’ project as Karachi Airport has been included in the Road to Makkah project recently; Islamabad airport is already covered under the ‘Road to Makkah’ project.
The ‘Road to Makkah’ Initiative, an integral part of Saudi Arabia’s Guests of God Service Program, aims to diversify the kingdom’s economy and under this, pilgrims undergo immigration procedures at their respective countries’ airports.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs had previously expressed intentions to expand the Makkah Route Initiative to airports in cities besides Islamabad, with Karachi notably in the spotlight; the facility is only available at the Islamabad International Airport at the moment.
According to the CAA, Pakistani Hajj pilgrims might be spared the immigration process at Jeddah airport after completing the procedure at Karachi airport under the initiative for this year’s pilgrimage.
The total number of seats allocated to Pakistan for the upcoming Hajj is around 180,000 but these include the seats allocated to the private Hajj operators also.
