Post-hajj flight operations starts

A month long post-Hajj flights’ operation would start on Tuesday night to bring 180,000 Pakistani pilgrims back from Saudi Arabia.
According to an official at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the first flight was scheduled to arrive from Jeddah on Tuesday night.
In pre-Hajj flight operation, Pakistani pilgrims were airlifted with the help of 283 flights, including 149 of PIA, 80 flights of Shaheen Airlines and 54 flights of Saudi Airlines.
Expressing satisfaction over the smooth conduct of the pre-Hajj flight operation, he hoped that the post-Hajj flight operation would be completed within the prescribed time.
“The successful and timely completion of pre and post-Hajj flights’ operations would be a big achievement of the ministry,” he added.
PIA had airlifted 45,481 pilgrims including 6,639 from Islamabad, 5,633 from Lahore, 6,639 from Karachi, 7,057 from Quetta, 9,049 from Peshawar, 6,958 from Multan and 3,506 from Sialkot.
Saudi Airline had lifted 45,481 pilgrims including 2,660 from Islamabad, 2,660 pilgrims had been airlifted from Lahore, 2,000 from Karachi, 6,000 from Peshawar, 320 from Rahim Yar Khan and 3,010 from Faisalabad.
Shaheen Air had airlifted 20,700 pilgrims including 5,300 each from Islamabad and Lahore, 6,100 from Karachi and 4,000 from Peshawar.
To serve and facilitate Pakistani pilgrims, a contingent of over 625 doctors, paramedics and ancillary staff had been deployed in Saudia. One doctor had been deployed to serve 1,000 pilgrims.
As many as 330 Pakistan based facilitators had performed welfare duties for pilgrims. Around 900 local facilitators had been recruited for 40 to 60 days for welfare and services of the pilgrims, he said.
A contingent of 170 seasonal staff members from the Ministry of Religious Affairs had been deployed at the facilitation desk to guide pilgrims.
Another 1,475 welfare staff members including 330 facilitators, 625 Hajj medical mission members, 350 volunteers and 170 Seasonal Duty Staff had also served the pilgrims.
He said that 25 Saudi hospitals had provided quality services to pilgrims, four hospitals had been established in Arafat, four in Mina and seven in Mecca.
Around 141 healthcare centres had also been set up in the pilgrimage area. The centres had provided 5,250 beds, including 500 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds and 550 emergency room beds. A total of 20,000 Saudi doctors and paramedics were present to serve pilgrims as well.