LAHORE: As the operation to send Hujjaj on the yearly sacred pilgrimage got under way on Saturday, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flew 9,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia on 33 flights.
According to the national airline’s spokesperson, maiden flight PK 743 took 327 pilgrims from Lahore to Madinah.
The PIA spokesperson said that more than 11,000 Hajj pilgrims would be transported to Madinah Munawwarah and Jeddah through 41 special and scheduled flights from Lahore.
It is to be noted that the PIA’s pre-Hajj operation would be completed on June 22 while the post-Hajj operation would start from July 2 and end on August 2 to bring back pilgrims from Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, a high-level team responsible for monitoring the Hajj arrangements has arrived in Madinah to oversee and ensure the provision of accommodation facilities, transportation, food, healthcare, and other logistical arrangements for the government scheme pilgrims.
Led by Joint Secretary (JS) Arshad Farid Khan from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, has already started diligently to identify areas for improvement and implement necessary measures, ensuring the enhancement of service quality provided to the pilgrims.
Arshad Farid Khan said, “He is bound to continuously and rigorously monitor the facilities for Hajj to provide intending pilgrims with optimum services and amenities.”
