Islamabad [Pakistan], April 28 : Only 23,620 private Pakistani Hajj pilgrims will be able to perform this year's pilgrimage, leaving over 67,000 others unable to participate, with only a day remaining before the first flight departs, ARY News reported.
The first flight from Islamabad to Saudi Arabia is set to take off on April 29, marking the start of Pakistan's Hajj 2025 operations.
Out of the 90,830 pilgrims who were initially set to travel under the private scheme, only 23,620 will be able to perform Hajj. This means that only 26 per cent of private pilgrims will be granted the opportunity, leaving three out of every four Pakistani pilgrims unable to participate, ARY News reported on Sunday.
According to reports, despite the Prime Minister's instructions to form an investigative committee, no progress has been made on resolving the issue. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also confirmed that it was unable to secure any special concessions for Hajj 2025 pilgrims.
According to ARY News, the responsibility for the 67,210 pilgrims who will be left behind remains undetermined.
The first flight, carrying 393 pilgrims from Islamabad, is scheduled to depart on April 29. Officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs welcomed the Road to Makkah delegation at Islamabad Airport, marking the beginning of this year's Hajj operations.
In total, 50,500 Pakistani pilgrims will travel to Saudi Arabia under the Road to Makkah project for Hajj 2025. Of these, 28,000 will depart from Islamabad, and 22,500 will fly from Karachi.
According to the Ministry, 100 flights from Islamabad and 80 flights from Karachi will operate under the Road to Makkah project, with dedicated counters set up at both airports.
The immigration process for Hajj 2025 pilgrims will be completed in Pakistan, rather than Saudi Arabia.
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