By Raziq Ali Shah
MADINAH AL MUNAWARA, April 29 (APP): Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport (Madinah Airport) on Tuesday received three flights carrying a total of 695 Pakistani pilgrims (guests of Allah Almighty) from Islamabad, Multan, and Quetta.
A fourth flight from Karachi, transporting 285 more pilgrims, is expected to land at Madinah Airport by midnight.
Earlier, a flight from Islamabad carrying 393 pilgrims arrived at the airport. The second flight, with 150 pilgrims from Multan, and the third flight, carrying 152 pilgrims from Quetta, also landed in Madinah.
The pilgrims were warmly received by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Farooq Ahmed, Director General Hajj Abdul Wahab Soomro, Director Hajj Madinah Zia-ur-Rehman, Pakistan’s Consul General Khalid Majeed, representatives from the Saudi Tawafa organization and officials from Pakistani airlines.
Ambassador Farooq Ahmed inquired about the well-being of the pilgrims and appreciated the excellent arrangements made by the Saudi government, relevant institutions, and the Pakistan Hajj Mission.
The pilgrims were transported to their accommodations via designated buses. Upon arrival at their hotels, they were warmly welcomed in accordance with Saudi cultural traditions and offered flowers, chocolates, dates, and refreshments.
Filled with excitement and devotion, the guests of Allah Almighty—many of whom had been preparing for this moment for years—stepped foot in the Prophet’s (SAW) city, marking the beginning of the Hajj season. Around three million pilgrims from across the globe, including over 100,000 from Pakistan, will gather in the holy cities to perform the sacred pilgrimage.
The pilgrims will spend the next few days in Madinah visiting holy sites and preparing for the journey ahead. They will then travel to Makkah to perform the remaining rites of Hajj, starting on 8th Zilhajj, including the circumambulation of the Ka’aba and the symbolic stoning of the devil.
The pre-Hajj flight operation, which will continue until May 31, aims to facilitate the arrival of thousands of pilgrims in the holy land.
During the first 15 days of the ongoing pre-Hajj flight operation, all flights from various cities in Pakistan will land in Madinah. After that, flights will begin arriving at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah until the completion of the pre-Hajj phase.