SIALKOT: Emotions were palpable at King Abdulaziz International Airport as Pakistan commenced its post-Hajj flight operations for 2024.
The farewell Tawaf at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, marking the conclusion of the five-day spiritual journey at the holy sites of Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah from Zilhajj 8-12, signified the end of Hajj rituals.
This year, approximately 160,000 Pakistanis participated in Hajj, availing services through both government and private schemes.
On the inaugural day of the month-long post-Hajj operation, 1,723 pilgrims were scheduled to depart from Makkah to various destinations in Pakistan, including Multan and Lahore.
The first flight, PF-723, departed for Multan from Jeddah at 05:35 Saudi Arabia Standard Time (SAST) with 150 passengers. It was followed by flight PA-471 to Lahore at 06:55 SAST with 190 pilgrims, and flight PA-273 to Islamabad at 07:55 SAST carrying 200 passengers. Additional flights included PA-173 to Karachi at 08:15 SAST with 180 pilgrims, PA-873 back to Multan at 08:30 SAST with another 180 passengers, and PF-719 to Islamabad at 10:50 SAST with 150 pilgrims.
Later in the day, flight PF-721 was scheduled for Lahore at 11:45 SAST with 150 pilgrims, followed by PF-715 to Karachi at 18:20 SAST carrying 151 passengers. The day concluded with flight PK-842 to Islamabad at 20:50 SAST, transporting 372 pilgrims.
