ISLAMABAD: Around 38,150 Pakistani pilgrims under the government’s Hajj scheme have arrived in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah ahead of this year’s annual Islamic pilgrimage, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported recently.
This year, around 179,210 Pakistanis will perform Hajj under both the government and private schemes, for which a month-long flight operation started on May 9. This year’s pilgrimage is expected to run from June 14-19.
“By Sunday, collectively as many as 38,150 Pakistani pilgrims, which constitutes almost 54.35 percent of the total, have reached Madinah and Makkah,” the APP report said on Sunday, citing sources in the Pakistan Hajj Mission.
From May 17, the Pakistan Hajj Mission started sending bus caravans of pilgrims to Makkah from Madinah after they completed their eight-day stay in Madinah. Over 23,464 Pakistani pilgrims have reached Makkah from Madinah under a real-time GPS tracking system, APP said, adding that it is for the first time that the service is being utilized to track the movement of Hajj caravans.
“This innovative approach aims to ensure a seamless and timely journey for the pilgrims,” Shahid Ur Rehman Marth, who is in-charge of the Madinah Departure Cell, told APP.
Meanwhile, pilgrims from all over the world including Pakistan, visited the sacred cave of Hira at the mountain of Al-Noor in Makkah.
The site is a revered one for Muslims around the world as it is the place where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) received the first verses of the Holy Qur’an from God.
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and requires every adult Muslim to undertake the journey to the holy Islamic sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime, provided they are financially and physically able to do so.
Pilgrims from Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi are availing the Makkah Route Initiative facility for the first time. Launched in 2019, the initiative allows for the completion of immigration procedures at the pilgrims’ country of departure.
This makes it possible to bypass long immigration and customs checks upon reaching Saudi Arabia, which significantly reduces the waiting time and makes the entry process smoother and faster.
