328 Hajj pilgrims off to Jeddah

ISLAMABAD: The first Hajj flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) with 328 Hajj pilgrims on board took off under the government scheme from Benazir International Airport, Islamabad to Jeddah in late hours on Sunday.

Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf saw the 328 intending pilgrims off at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport.

Speaking on the occasion, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf urged the pilgrims to manifest a positive image of the country by adopting good behavior, staying disciplined and following the rules and regulation set by the government during the Hajj process.

Nine more flights carrying Hajj pilgrims will leave from Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar today (Monday).

The month-long pre Haj flights operation would culminate on August 26. A total of four airlines including PIA, Saudi Airlines, Air Blue and Shaheen Air would participate in the operation.

As many as four hundred and twenty-six flights from different parts of the country will reportedly airlift over one hundred and seven thousand pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.