JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia), May 31 (APP): The 33-day pre-Hajj flight operation which started on April 29 successfully concluded with arrival of the last Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-759 from Karachi, carrying 307 intending pilgrims at 6:55 pm (local time) on Saturday.
“Under the Government Hajj Scheme, as many as 88,260 intending pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia via 342 flights from various cities of Pakistan,” Spokesperson for the Ministry of Religious Affairs Muhammad Umar Butt told APP.
Similarly, over 27,000 guests of Allah Almighty (pilgrims) arrived in the holy land through the Private Hajj Scheme, he added.
He said in the first phase of the Hajj flight operation, a total of 39,717 Pakistanis were transported to Madinah by May 27 via 156 flights.
Umar Butt said that over 115,000 Pakistani pilgrims will perform Hajj this year—88,260 under the Government Hajj Scheme and 27,011 through Private Hajj Group Organizers (HGOs).
The flights were operated by various airlines, including Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Saudi Airlines, SereneAir, Airblue, and AirSial to transport the pilgrims from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia.
The spokesperson said that around 470 Nazimeen are being deputed to facilitate the pilgrims during the Mashair days. A dedicated Nazim will be assigned to each group of 188–200 pilgrims who will accompany them (guests of Allah Almighty) round the clock—from Mina to Arafat, Muzdalifah, Jamarat, and back to Makkah, he said.