Hajj 2024: Over half of govt scheme pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia

ISLAMABAD – More than half of the Pakistani pilgrims who are set to perform hajj this year have landed in Saudi Arabia under the government Hajj scheme, it emerged on Sunday.

The pre-Hajj flight operation started on May 9 to transport around 70,105 intending Pakistani pilgrims to Saudi Arabia under the government scheme. As of Sunday, 38,150 Pakistani pilgrims had reached Madinah and Makkah, constituting almost 54.35 percent of the total.

Official sources at the Pakistan Hajj Mission told the state-owned APP news agency that by May 23rd, 146 flights from major cities of Pakistan had departed for the Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, airlifting 34,407 intending pilgrims.

According to the details, over 23,464 Pakistani pilgrims have reached Makkah from Madinah. This is the first time that a tracking system has been utilized for real-time monitoring of pilgrims

The government of Pakistan has secured around 170,000 seats for Hajj pilgrims this year while the government of Saudi Arabia would be welcoming over 2 million pilgrims from across the world for the annual pilgrimage.

The government of Saudi Arabia has warned of strict penalties for those found violating the rules in the holy kingdom and expatriates can also face deportation.