ISLAMABAD: The Hajj Organisers Association of Pakistan (HOAP) chairman has thanked the government for encouraging the private Hajj sector. Haji Sanaullah, the chairman of private Hajj companies’ association, while addressing the participants of a Hajj workshop in Islamabad on Wednesday, said that Hajj awareness workshops had been launched throughout Pakistan to train the pilgrims for Hajj 2017. He said that due to the efforts and close coordination of private Hajj companies with the authorities of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, the Hajj operation 2016 remained successful. He said that Pakistan was among those countries that had provided outstanding facilities to their pilgrims. Haji Sanaullah said that in order to improve the Hajj operation, all the private companies of Pakistan had been doing their best to train the pilgrims. “We are in close contact with the private Hajj Group Organisers (HGOs) of Pakistan, and have been urging them to provide best facilities to the intending pilgrims to make the Hajj operation more successful.” He said that the HGOs were organising training workshops and Hajj awareness seminars across Pakistan, including FATA, to inform the intending pilgrims about the rules and regulations of Saudi Arabia, which they had to obey during their pilgrimage.