Pre-Haj flight operation to conclude today

ISLAMABAD—The pre-Haj operation to airlift about 150,000 intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for Haj would conclude with the departure of last special Haj flight from Islamabad International Airport here on Monday.
"The last special Hajj flight PK-1731 is scheduled to leave for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from the Federal Capital at 1845 hours," official sources told APP here on Sunday. He said a total of 462 special Hajj flights were operated to ferry 150,000 intending pilgrims to the Holy Land in one month.
The national flag carrier, PIA transported about 124,500 intending pilgrims to Jeddah and Madina while Saudi Airline took about 25,500 pilgrims for Haj during the pre-Haj operation. To facilitate the intending pilgrims further, he added that about 16,500 pilgrims were directly flown to Madina out of which 15,000 travelled through PIA while 1,500 through Saudi Airline.
He said all the return flights would be operated from Jeddah airport. About the post-Hajj operation, he said, the return flights would start from January 4, next year, adding, all the pilgrims would be brought back home till February 3.
He said the bulk of the intending pilgrims have already reached Saudi Arabia for performing the forthcoming Hajj. He informed that total strength of 258 doctors and paramedical staff has reached Saudi Arabia and set up dispensaries at Jeddah, Makkah and Madina for providing medical assistance to the pilgrims.
The last batch of Khuddam-ul-Hajjaj has also departed forSaudi Arabia to complete the total of 230. The Spokesman said that a special cell has also been set up to monitor performance of private Haj organizers.
He informed all the intending pilgrims were facilitated at the Haj Camps, airports and after their arrival in Jeddah and Madina.—APP