Pakistan religious minister to inspect Hajj arrangements in Saudi Arabia visit today
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Mohammad Yousaf will arrive in Saudi Arabia on Saturday to review Hajj arrangements, his office said, as 117,000 Pakistani pilgrims arrive in the kingdom ahead of the annual pilgrimage.
Pakistan is expected to send more than 179,000 pilgrims for Hajj this year. Of these, 119,000 will travel under the government scheme, while the remaining will be facilitated through private tour operators.
Pakistan kicked off its pre-Hajj flight operation on Apr. 18. Most Pakistani pilgrims this year are traveling under Saudi Arabia’s Route to Makkah Initiative, which allows travelers to complete immigration and customs procedures before departure from Pakistan.
“The federal minister for religious affairs will arrive in Saudi Arabia today to review Hajj arrangements,” the religious ministry said on Saturday.
