Lahore:
The Minister of Religious Affairs and the Interfaria Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousuf announced that around 90,000 pilgrims will perform the Hajj this year as part of the Hajj government program – with Hajj flights from the 29th of this month.
As part of the Hajj 2025 policy, a total of 179,210 Pakistanis should perform the Hajj this year.
The Hajj quota is equally divided, with 89,605 seats allocated to government and private regimes of Hajj.
Speaking on Sunday at a press conference in Lahore of the Hajj 2025 preparations, the minister said that the Hajj’s arrangements were in their last stages.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) – The national flag carrier – will start its pre -hajj flight operation from April 29. During this massive exercise, more than 56,000 pilgrims will be transported in Saudi Arabia to 280 flights.
These pilgrims will include 20,000 people using the Hajj government program and 36,000 people carrying out a pilgrimage through private Hajj operators. The PIA will use Boeing 777 and Airbus A320 aircraft for the transport of pilgrims.
After the Hajj, the PIA on June 12 will begin its post-HAJJ flight operation to bring the pilgrims back to Pakistan. This operation will continue until July 10.
The Minister said that officers from the Ministry of Religious Affairs will be present at the country’s airports to help pilgrims during their departure.
He stressed that the objective is given to the training of pilgrims, to allow them to avoid difficulties in Saudi Arabia. “The Saudi Minister of Hajj assured me that excellent arrangements have been taken for the Hajj of this year,” he said.
Yousuf said the first training phase was over and that the second phase of the training camp will start from April 8. Pilgrims should prepare, and special attention is given to the training.
He said that Hajj and Omra are questions of faith, and that any work done in this regard is considered an act of faith.
The minister said that he had a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and that he was following his instructions.
