KARACHI: Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, on Friday, said that the vaccination process of Hajj pilgrims would commence next week, and various centres have been established in major cities of the country for the purpose.
While talking to journalists during the visit to Bait-ul-Hajaj Karachi, he added that the training process of the intending pilgrims was in the final stages, which was carried out in a phased manner across the country.
Sardar Yousuf announced that over 110,000 intending pilgrims are set to travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025. Of these, 89,000 will proceed under the government scheme, while 23,000 will undertake the pilgrimage through private Hajj operators.
He further shared that more than 21,000 Pakistani pilgrims will depart from Karachi airport, which has been included in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Route to Makkah initiative. This programme ensures a smooth and hassle-free immigration process upon arrival at Saudi airports.
The Road to Makkah facility is currently available in two cities of the country- Islamabad and Karachi, and the government was striving for expansion of the facility to Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, and other major cities of Pakistan, he added.
The federal minister said the Saudi government has further enhanced the overall Hajj arrangements, while the government of Pakistan has made the best arrangements as well to facilitate the pilgrims this year.
He stated that, for the convenience of the Hajj pilgrims, high-quality residential facilities have been arranged as close as possible to key locations. He added that ministry staff will be present at these locations to assist the pilgrims.
He emphasised that, under the guidance of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Ministry is making every possible effort to ensure maximum facilitation for the pilgrims, so they can perform Hajj.
He assured all necessary support and assistance for the intending pilgrims and humbly requested them to remember everyone in their prayers.
