PM inaugurates Road to Makkah project at Islamabad Airport, sees off pilgrims

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday formally inaugurated Road to Makkah project at the Islamabad International Airport and saw off the intending Haj pilgrims travelling to the holy land by the PIA flight from here.

The prime minister was accompanied by Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noor-Ul- Haq Qadri, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan and Director General Saudi Immigration Maj Gen Suleman Abdul Aziz.

Under the project, the customs clearance and immigration of Pakistani pilgrims will be completed at Pakistani airports before their departure for Hajj in order to save them from a long wait at Saudi airports.

During the recent visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to Islamabad, Prime Minister Imran Khan had requested him to include Pakistan in the Road to Makkah project.

Responding to the request, the Saudi authorities announced that immigration formalities for the Pakistani pilgrims would be performed in their country.

The pilot project of the Road to Makkah programme has been started from the Islamabad airport this year and will be extended to other airports of the country in subsequent years.