Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Talha Mahmood announced on Tuesday that accommodations for Pakistani Hajj pilgrims this year would be located near the Masjid-e-Nabawi in Madina.
He made this announcement during a meeting with Undersecretary Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Al-Bijawi of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Madina, where they discussed the future strategy for Hajj arrangements, the pilgrimage to Madina, and facilities on the road to Makkah.
Mahmood praised Saudi Arabia’s arrangements for people at the two holiest mosques during Ramadan and mentioned that accommodation and food arrangements for pilgrims during their stay in Madina would be finalised soon.
The Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony advised that Hajj pilgrims should familiarize themselves with the Saudi mobile application ‘Nusuk’ for offering nawafil at Riaz-ul-Jannah in Masjid-e-Nabawi. He also mentioned that there were ongoing efforts to ensure that 50% of the pilgrims who participate in the ‘Government Hajj Scheme’ complete their pilgrimage to Madina before Hajj.
This year, a total of 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims would perform Hajj.
According to reports, the Hajj cost for the northern region of Pakistan, which comprises Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan, Faisalabad, Rahim Yar Khan, and Sialkot, is estimated to be Rs1,175,000, while for the southern region, it is Rs1,165,000. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has also revealed that it will start its pre-Hajj operation on May 21 and continue it until August 12, with plans to transport 38,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia during this period.
