Pakistan’s Hajj flights to begin on April 29 as preparations finalized

Pakistan’s Hajj flight operations under the government scheme are set to commence on April 29, with the first flight departing to Saudi Arabia on the day, the Ministry of Religious Affairs announced on Saturday.

Under the government Hajj scheme, Pakistan plans to send 89,000 pilgrims via 342 flights. The operation will continue for 33 days, with the last flight scheduled to depart on May 31. The pilgrims will be transported to both Madinah and Makkah during this period.

Pakistan’s Hajj arrangements are divided into two categories: the government scheme and the private scheme. Under the government scheme, the Ministry of Religious Affairs directly manages travel, accommodation, and services for pilgrims. The private scheme allows approved Hajj operators to handle these arrangements independently, offering packages with varying levels of service and cost. Both schemes are regulated by the government to ensure standards and facilitate the pilgrims' journey.

Flights schedule:

According to the ministry, the first 15 days of the operation will focus on transporting pilgrims to Madinah. National and private airlines are participating in the operation. On the opening day, six flights will depart for Saudi Arabia:

• Islamabad: PIA flight PK-713 will depart at 4:45 am carrying 393 pilgrims.
• Lahore: Air Sial flight PF-7700 will depart at 8:30 am with 150 pilgrims.
• Quetta: PIA flight PK-7201 will depart at 9:30 am with 150 passengers.
• Multan: PIA flight PK-715 will depart at 8:15 pm with 393 pilgrims.
• Karachi: Serene Air flight ER-1611 will depart at 9:30 pm with 285 pilgrims.
• Lahore: A second flight, PIA PK-747, will depart at 10:15 pm carrying 329 pilgrims.

Instructions for pilgrims:

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has issued mandatory health guidelines for all Hajj pilgrims:

• Pilgrims must be vaccinated before departure for Saudi Arabia.
• Vaccines for meningitis, seasonal flu, and polio are available free of cost at designated Hajj camps.
• After vaccination, pilgrims must obtain a yellow vaccination card from the Hajj camp.
• Entry into Saudi Arabia will not be permitted without a valid vaccination certificate.

Thousands may miss Hajj amid private scheme crisis

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Religious Affairs had announced that only 23,620 pilgrims would be able to perform Hajj under the private scheme this year, leaving tens of thousands of registered applicants uncertain as the April 18 visa deadline approached.

The announcement fell far short of accommodating the nearly 67,000 private pilgrims who had registered and paid for the pilgrimage. Officials blamed the shortfall on delays in transferring payments to Saudi authorities.

The issue escalated to parliament, with the Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs meeting to address the cancellation of a large portion of Pakistan’s private Hajj quota. Ministry officials informed the committee that Saudi Arabia had set a February 14 deadline for deposits, and despite diplomatic efforts by Pakistan's leadership, only 10,000 additional spots were restored, bringing the private quota to 23,620. Officials said no further increases were possible.

Meanwhile, private tour operators accused the ministry of mishandling the process. Sanaullah Khan, Chief Coordinator of the Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan, criticized the ministry for issuing the Hajj policy over a month late, despite Saudi Arabia’s deadline being set in September.