MADINAH AL-MUNAWARA, May 9 (APP): The Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport (Madina Airport) on Thursday received all 11 scheduled flights, carrying a total of 2,160 intending Hajj pilgrims from various major cities of Pakistan to the holy land.
“There was a little delay in the departure of Hajj flights from Allama Iqbal International Airport due to a small fire incident. All Hajj flights from Lahore are being operated as per the scheduled days,” Spokesman for the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Muhammad Umar Butt told APP.
The Hajj pilgrims were warmly received by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ahmad Farooq, Director General of Hajj Abdul Wahab Soomro, Consul General Khalid Mehmood, Director of Hajj in Madinah Zia-ur-Rehman, Director of Facilitation and Coordination Ahmed Nadeem Khan, Director Moavineen Asghar Yusufza, and Director Hajj Medical Mission Brigadier Jamil Lakhiar.
Filled with excitement and devotion, the pilgrims, who have been preparing for this moment for years, stepped foot in the Prophet’s (SAW) city, marking the beginning of the Hajj season. Approximately three million pilgrims from around the world, including 179,210 Pakistanis, will converge on the holy cities to perform the sacred Hajj.
From the airport, the passengers were transported to residential buildings located in Markazia, just a 15-20 minute walk from Masjid e Nabvi and Roza-e-Rasool (SAW), via luxurious buses.
The pilgrims will spend the next few days in Madinah, visiting holy sites and preparing themselves for the journey ahead.
They will then travel to Makkah, where they will perform other obligatory acts of Hajj, starting on 8th Zilhajj, including the circumambulation of the Ka’aba and the symbolic stoning of the devil.
During the first 15 days of the ongoing pre-Hajj flight operation, all flights will operate from various cities in Pakistan to Madinah until May 23, and afterwards, they will land at the King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, until the completion of the pre-Hajj flight operation.”
