Daily Times

The first post-hajj flight No.PF 723 of Air Sial airline carrying 149 pilgrims from Madina, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, landed at Multan International Airport on Thursday.

PML (N) MPA, Muhammad Salman Naeem and Director Hajj Rehan Khokhar, received the pilgrims with a warm welcome.

They put garlands of flowers on them turn by turn upon their arrival, requesting to pray for peace and prosperity in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, MPA Salman Naeem lauded the government for making exemplary arrangements for Pilgrims.

He said that the post-hajj flights would continue till July 09 in which all Pilgrims would return to country. He said that receiving the pilgrims after their return from Madina was an honor for him.

Director Rehan Khokhar said, “All possible efforts have been made to facilitate pilgrims to perform Hajj and it was being extended at post-hajj operation.”

It is pertinent to mention here, a total of 26 post-hajj flights have been scheduled for Multan International Airport in which over 6000 pilgrims would return to country. On Thursday, a total of two flights have been scheduled in Multan including PF 723 of Air Sial carrying 149 pilgrims and second of Air Blue airline flight No.PA 873 carrying 180 pilgrims. “However, Flight No.SV 3800 of Saudia Airline has been scheduled on June 29 in which 370 maximum pilgrims would land at Multan International Airport and it would be the maximum number of pilgrims on a single flight,” official sources of Hajj department told APP.

Karachi

The first post-Hajj flight PK 860 of Pakistan International Airlines carrying 160 pilgrims from Jeddah arrived at the Karachi Airport on Thursday afternoon.

The pilgrims were received by PIA District Manager Umar Khan, Airport Manager Javed Pechuho and other PIA officers, a PIA spokesperson said. The PIA would bring back more than 35,000 pilgrims, including 19,500 under the Government Hajj Scheme, 14,900 under the Private Hajj Scheme and about 630 Khudam from Saudi Arabia through 171 flights, he added. The national airliners would operate post-Hajj flights to Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Sialkot and Peshawar, while pilgrims from Sukkur and Quetta would travel via Karachi. The post-Hajj operation would end on July 21, the spokesperson said.