PHOTO: AFP/FILE
The minister was accompanied by a team comprising senior Pakistani functionaries.
Earlier, Shah held a meeting with Dr al Hajjar and expressed gratitude to King Abdullah, Prince Salman and the Saudi Hajj Ministry for the improvement and upgrading of the Umrah and Hajj experiences of pilgrims.
The number of Pakistani pilgrims is expected to have increased by 10,000 over the previous year.
Some important features of the Hajj Agreement 2013 include:
– A contingent of 1790 Pakistan Khuddam ul Hujjaj and members of the Medical Mission, will arrive from Pakistan to serve the Pakistani Hajj pilgrims.
– Around 40,000 pilgrims will arrive in Madina Munawwarah, directly from Pakistan.
– First Hajj flight will reach Saudi Arabia on September 7, 2013, while the last Hajj Flight will reach KSA on October 9, 2013.
– Post Hajj flight operations will begin with the departure of first Hajj flight from KSA to Pakistan on October 19, 2013.
– Hajj visas will be issued to pilgrims holding digital international passports only.
– Pilgrims will be allowed to carry specially prepared Zamzam cans packed and supplied by Khadim ul Haramain Project for supply of Zamzam water (holy water).
– All the airlines that have licences to operate inside KSA, have offices in Saudi Arabia and are approved by the Saudi Arabian Civil Aviation Authority will be responsible for transporting Pakistani Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
COMMENTS (4)
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Hajj has historically been a source of income for the people of Hijaz, and there is nothing wrong with that, but now it has become really big business and multinationals and government are trying to make money off of it. Saudis are trying to turn Makkah in to a resort for vacation like Disneyland and I was saddened to see the tall building around Kaa'ba overwhelming the religious structures around them. There were big hotels, malls and food courts everywhere and it felt more like I was vacationing at a resort than visiting the holiest of all places in the world.
@ex paki: Please everyone we all know the imporatnce of Hajj... If you are already done with one hajj and you have enough money please donate it to poor. You will get more sawab then anything else. Allah will guide us everyone in this issue.
as Mullah of my village used to say about Haj and Haj e Akbar. According to him, Haj e Akbar means, donating Haj expensive for the education of Pakistani children. Pakistanio, how about that? While Rehman Malik should buy them prayer beads with Aab e Zam Zam with 1 kilo of Khajooraan.
Hope no one makes money off Haj this time. They cheated everyone last time.