MAKKAH MUKARMA, Saudi Arabia: The Pakistan Hajj mission is offering simplified transportation services to Pakistani pilgrims this year with a fleet of 190 buses ensuring round-the-clock, direct transportation to and from Masjid Al-Haram so that they could fully dedicate themselves to the sacred duty.
Once all intended Pakistani pilgrims have arrived in Makkah, the mission intends to expand the number of buses to 360 in preparation for the following Hajj, which will begin on June 26. Around Haram Sharif, bus stops have been placed in a number of locations, including Kudai, Ajyad, Ghaza, and Jorwal.
28 guides have also been appointed by the mission to advise pilgrims on both the internal and external routes of the Haram Sharif. According to Director Moavineen e Hujjaj Sajjad Haider Yaldram, buses in Masquota are arranged by sector and are identified to make it simple for aspiring pilgrims to be recognized. Buses are arranged in a systematic way to enable quick pick-up.
Director Hajj Makkah, Faheem Khan Afridi, said comprehensive transportation guidelines had been issued at each building.
Additional buses will be deployed in Masquota to meet the transportation needs of all pilgrims, ensuring their adequate accommodation and smooth journey.
Muhammad Umer Butt, the spokesman for the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, told APP that the fixed pick-up times have already been told to the pilgrims in every building.
For the pilgrims residing in sectors 2, 5, 6, and 7, the pick-up point is the bus stop near the entry and exit point of the Haram Sharif, known as Bab e Abdul Aziz.
Similarly, the pilgrims residing in sector 4 are being picked up from either Bab e Salam or the gates of Safa and Marva. As for the residents of Sector 8, they are being picked up from the gate of Haram Sharif, known as Bab e Abdul Aziz.
Saudi Arabia restored Pakistan’s pre-pandemic Hajj quota in January, making it possible for 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims to participate in the yearly Islamic holy ceremony. The monarchy has lifted the 65-year-old age restriction, allowing people of all ages to travel on this holy trek. Out of Pakistan’s total Hajj quota, the government’s Hajj program will house about 80,000 pilgrims. The remaining intended pilgrims will choose private Hajj Group Organizers (HGO) to make the pilgrimage, ensuring everyone can meet their religious obligations. —APP
