The Ministry of Religious Affairs in Pakistan has confirmed the establishment of two control rooms, one each in the sacred cities of Makkah and Madinah, to assist Hajj pilgrims.
With thousands of Pakistanis arriving in Saudi Arabia ahead of the annual Islamic pilgrimage, the ministry revealed that approximately 15,819 pilgrims from Pakistan have already reached the destination weeks before the Hajj commences.
This year, a total of 179,210 Pakistanis are expected to perform Hajj under government and private schemes. To facilitate this influx, Pakistan initiated a month-long flight operation involving five airlines, including PIA, Saudi Airlines, Airblue, Serene Air, and Air Sial, operating 259 flights from eight major Pakistani cities to Jeddah and Madinah until June 9.
The government aims to ensure a hassle-free pilgrimage experience for the Pakistani pilgrims by providing support through the Hajj control rooms. Muhammad Umer Butt, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Religious Affairs, highlighted that both control rooms in Makkah and Madinah will operate 24 hours a day to assist pilgrims. Each pilgrim is provided with an identification card containing the contact numbers of the control rooms for emergency situations or complaints.
This year, Pakistan has adopted the Saudi government’s digitalization efforts for Hajj through the Pak Hajj mobile application. The app offers essential information, complaint lodging capabilities, and the ability to track complaint statuses. Butt further explained that a live dashboard has been set up in the control room, displaying details of received and resolved complaints, pilgrim movements, and other general queries, ensuring efficient management of the pilgrimage process.
