MANSEHRA: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Mohammad Yousuf on Friday said that the government had made outstanding arrangements for 179,000 pilgrims this year in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“I am proud to announce that this year we are going to provide excellent Hajj services to pilgrims throughout their rituals in the Kingdom, which will not be inferior to those provided by private tour operators,” he told the media persons here.
Sardar Yousuf said that he had recently concluded his official visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met his counterpart and other officials and discussed arrangements for the upcoming Hajj.
The federal minister said that the first Hajj flights would depart from different airports across the country for Saudi Arabia on April 17, and all arrangements had already been completed.
“The Saudi Minister for Hajj and adviser to King Salman assured me of the Kingdom’s full support in providing excellent arrangements and facilities,” he said.
The federal minister said that he also visited the hotels and reviewed the arrangements, including tents installed to accommodate Pakistani pilgrims.
“We have also made significant changes in our existing system, and for the first time, if a Pakistani pilgrim visits any health facility, his entire previous medical history will be available on the website,” the minister said.
He added that the government was also going to regularise Umrah under the Hajj and Umrah Act 2021 to organise religious visits similar to Hajj, and formalities were being finalised.
