Hajj 2014: Expats to assist pilgrims

Riyadh chapter of Pakistan Hajj Volunteers Group has made preparations to send 400 expatriates to help the pilgrims

ISLAMABAD: About 1,800 expatriates from across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and 400 Pakistani expats from Riyadh will assist Asian Hajj pilgrims who will perform Hajj this year. The Riyadh chapter of the Pakistan Hajj Volunteers Group (PHVG) has made preparations to send 400 expatriates, most of them Pakistanis, to help the pilgrims. The announcement was made at an awards ceremony held to honour 300 volunteers who took part in the last year’s Hajj pilgrimage. Khayyam Akbar, charge d’affaires at the Pakistan Embassy, distributed the awards to the volunteers. Commending the excellent services provided by the PHVG, Akbar said “serving the guests of Allah is a great service rendered by these volunteers.” The diplomat said that, along with millions of pilgrims from other countries, 143,368 Pakistani pilgrims will perform Hajj this year. He also urged the Pakistan community to join hands with PHVG for this noble cause. The Pakistan mission would offer whatever assistance needed to help the pilgrims to be comfortable during their stay in Makkah and Madinah, he assured.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2014.