By Muhammad Aslam
MAKKAH AL-MUKARRAMAH, Jun 9 (APP): A month-long pre-Hajj flight operation, which began on May 9 to transport around 70,105 from major cities of Pakistan to holy cities of Madinah and Makkah under the government scheme, would complete with the arrival of the last flight at the King Abdulaziz International Airport Jeddah on Monday morning.
As per the schedule, a copy of which is available with APP, a Saudi Airlines SV-3727 would leave Islamabad International Airport for Jeddah at 3 a.m. (PST) carrying 380 passengers – the last batch of Pakistani intending pilgrims under the government scheme.
This year, 160,000 Pakistani pilgrims will perform the religious obligation of Hajj, with 70,000 arriving under the government scheme and around 90,000 through private Hajj Groups Organizers (HGOs).
Official statistics indicate that around 63,321 pilgrims have already reached Saudi Arabia under the private scheme, with the remaining individuals expected to arrive before the start of Hajj on June 14, the 8th of Zilhajj.
Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, requires every financially and physically able adult Muslim to undertake the pilgrimage to Makkah’s holy Islamic sites at least once in their lifetime.
As the Saudi government finalizes preparations for Hajj 2024, over 1.9 million pilgrims worldwide, including 160,000 from Pakistan, are expected to perform the pilgrimage this year.
With the Saudi government’s elaborate preparations in place, the stage is set for a spiritual journey of a lifetime for the pilgrims, during which they would be communing with Allah Almighty seeking forgiveness for their sins and invoking His blessings.