More than 92,000 intending pilgrims have so far been airlifted to Saudi Arabia to perform forthcoming Haj since the beginning of pre-Haj flights operation on November 02, to transport 160,000 pilgrims selected under government and private schemes.
These pilgrims were flown to Jeddah and Madina by 250 flights from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad airports, Joint Secretary (Haj), Ministry of Religious Affairs, Muhammad Jamil told APP here on Friday. The Joint Secretary said all the intending pilgrims are proceeding for Haj in accordance with the flight schedule and there had never been delay of any Haj flight.
About arrangements for the pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, he said the required number of buildings have already been acquired to accommodate pilgrims being sent under the government scheme. A hospital and dispensaries, equipped with paramedical staff including specialist doctors have been set up in Makkah and medicines have also been provided at these clinics. He said the main medical mission is located at Pakistan House, near Haram, with a capacity of 30 beds.
He said the medical mission has so far attended 29112 Pakistani pilgrims, out of these 82 were hospitalised in the mission hospital, while 54 were referred to Saudi hospitals, adding, 96 were discharged after the medical treatment. In reply to a question, he said according to information received from Makkah as many as 18 Pakistani pilgrims have died due to natural causes, out of which 7 have been laid to rest.
He said heirs of the deceased have been intimated about the sad demises in Saudi Arabia. The Joint Secretary informed that till now 742, out of 965 seasonal staff, medical mission, khuddam ul hujjaj and local khuddam have been deployed at Jeddah, Makkah and Madina to facilitate our pilgrims.
The remaining 223 seasonal staff, medical mission and khuddam ul hujjaj are being flown to Holy Land shortly. About complaints of hujjaj in Saudi Arabia, he said there were 398 minor complaints by hujjaj, which have been properly addressed. The intending pilgrims are also given literatures about the Haj rituals so that they can perform manasik-e-haj in an appropriate manner, he added.