Government Hajj Scheme: 42,763 Pakistani pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia

MAKKAH AL-MUKARRAMAH, May, 31(APP)::The Pakistan Hajj Mission (PHM) has so far received 42,763 pilgrims who arrived in Madinah and Makkah via 174 flights under the government scheme, Ministry of Religious Affairs updated on Friday.
“Around 27,342 more Pakistani pilgrims are expected to arrive in Makkah over the next 10 days,”said Muhammad Umer Butt, a spokesman for the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

This year, he said, the PHM will host over 70,000 pilgrims under the government scheme and more than 80,000 under private scheme.
Currently, over 13,000 pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia under private schemes.
By June 1, all pilgrims, who arrived directly in Madinah during the first phase of the ongoing pre-Hajj flight operation, will reach Makkah, the spokesman said.
With the cooperation of Saudi authorities, he said around 32,900 Pakistani pilgrims have been taken to visit Riaz Al-Jannah in Madinah.
The PHM is utilizing mobile apps, two toll-free helplines, and four WhatsApp numbers to address pilgrims’ complaints.

Additionally, the spokesman said two central hospitals and a dozen dispensaries in the Haram were providing medical facilities to pilgrims, with 282 doctors and medical staff on duty.
The PHM’s main hospitals are equipped with modern facilities, including ambulances, laboratories, X-ray machines, ultrasound machines, ECG machines, minor operating theaters, and separate wards for men and women.
A total of 390 Hajj Moavineen, including Pakistani civilians and uniformed personnel, are working to provide pilgrims with travel, accommodation, and food facilities.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has 152 officers and supporting staff working in various departments, including the control room, Madinah and Jeddah airports, the lost and found department, the Madinah departure cell, the monitoring cell, and the accounts and administration departments.
In the past 22 days, 115 pilgrims have been reunited with their families, and 718 dislocated bags and purses and 166 wheelchairs have been returned to their owners.

The Ministry has resolved 454 food-related complaints, 1,123 accommodation complaints, and 264 transportation complaints during this period. The Haram Guides, deployed at the entrance points of the Harm e Makki, have provided guidance to pilgrims 21,204 times in reaching their destinations.