Pakistani and Saudi officials on Wednesday paid a visit to Islamabad International Airport to review arrangements for Hajj pilgrims under the ‘Road to Makkah’ project.
Advisor to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Establishment Shehzad Arbab, Secretary Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan and other officials visited the Islamabad airport.
The Pakistani and Saudi high-ups were given a detailed briefing by immigration staff members at the airport. The program will allow Pakistani Hajj hopefuls to register themselves for the holy pilgrimage and its immigration procedure.
Immigration officials said that the department will ensure the provision of e-visas, customs, and vaccination and immigration services to 22,000 Hajj pilgrims under the pilot project which enables the travellers’ luggage to reach directly to their residences.
They briefed that Prime Minister Imran Khan had taken personal interest for the inclusion of Pakistan in the project.
The higher authorities have selected Islamabad International Airport for the ‘Road to Makkah’ pilot project for Hajj 2019 which exhibited longstanding bilateral ties of both countries.
After successful execution of the pilot project, the project will be expanded to other airports of the country, officials said. “Saudi government had initiated this project first in Malaysia and Indonesia last year and later Saudi Crown Prince had announced the inclusion of Pakistan in the project,” officials added.
Earlier in the day, it emerged that Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and Saudi Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s joint venture for facilitating Pakistani pilgrims ‘Road to Makkah’ to get underway soon as migrant registration systems installed on airport
On the occasion, Saudi officials said that the project was one of the important decisions taken under Vision 2030 by Saudi Arabian government which focused on completion of e-visas, custom clearance and immigration process in the country sending their pilgrims to the holy land for performing rituals
Meanwhile, the national flag carrier announced that pre-Hajj operation of transporting intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia from Pakistan would commence from July 5.
The PIA will transport more than 78,000 intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia through nearly 300 flights from Pakistan.
Four Pre-Hajj flights that will depart on the first day of Pre-Hajj operation on July 5, include PK741 from Islamabad, PK 743 from Karachi, PK 759 from Lahore and PK 735 from Peshawar, carrying more 1,300 intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
PIA CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik will see off the intending pilgrims of the first pre-Hajj flight from Islamabad.
The pre-Hajj flights will operate from Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Sialkot, Multan, Faisalabad and Quetta. The flights from Rahim Yar Khan and Sukkur will operate via Karachi. All arrangements have been finalized by PIA for the Hajj operation 2019. Arshad Malik has instructed the PIA Hajj team members to provide best services to the Intending pilgrims. PIA will operate nearly 300 Hajj and regular scheduled flights to Jeddah and Madinah.
The airline will transport 13,171 intending pilgrims from Islamabad through 46 flights, 19,745 intending pilgrims from Karachi through 62 flights, 15,562 pilgrims from Lahore through 51 flights, 10,446 from Peshawar through 29 flights, 4,358 intending pilgrims from Sialkot through 12 flights, 5,077 intending pilgrims from Multan through 21 flights, 1,549 pilgrims from Faisalabad through 17 flights and 8,350 intending pilgrims will be transported through 56 flights from Quetta.
