By Raziq Ali Shah
MAKKAH AL MUKARRAMAH Jun 03 (APP): Director Makkah Aziz Ullah Khan on Tuesday said that the transportation of Pakistani pilgrims to Mina will kick off after Esha prayers tonight.
Sharing details with APP here, the Director said that over 88,000 pilgrims under the government Hajj scheme will be transported to the world’s largest tent valley via 932 buses before Zuhar prayer tomorrow (8th Zilhaj).
“Initially, 442 buses were designated for transportation as per the Saudi authorities formula, but an additional 490 buses have now been arranged to ensure the timely and historic seat-to-seat shifting of pilgrims to Mina,” he said.
Calling it a landmark development, Aziz Ullah Khan said that each guest of Allah Almighty will have their name and photograph displayed on their designated sofa-cum-bed, along with a gift hamper. Pilgrims can also verify their details using the wristbands provided by the Pakistan Hajj Mission, he said.
In response to a question, he said that the counting of total beds has been completed in collaboration with the Mission’s officials and Saudi Tawafa company A-Rajhi. By the Grace of Allah Almighty the total number of beds is more than the required one, he added.
To another question, the Director said that after spending the day and night in the tent valley tomorrow, pilgrims will proceed to Mount Arafat. Of the total, 64,600 pilgrims — approximately 73% — will travel to Arafat by train, while the rest will be transported by buses.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Hajj Mission has urged pilgrims to strictly follow their scheduled departure times to avoid the risks associated with overcrowding and extreme heat.
It is pertinent to mention that Saudi authorities have stressed the importance of adhering to the government-assigned movement schedules and ensuring compliance at every stage of travel between the holy sites.
It also stressed the necessity of using the approved means of transport, as outlined in the official transportation plan, and refraining from walking between locations during the designated times.