Pakistan Haj Mission must ensure timely transport to Mashair; deploy route-expert 'Murshids' in buses: Federal Minister

MAKKAH MUKARRAMAH, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th May, 2026) Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, has directed the Pakistan Haj Mission to ensure the timely transport of Pakistani pilgrims to the holy sites (Mashair) of Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah. He instructed that "Murshids" (guides) well-versed in the routes of Mina, the tents of Arafat, and Muzdalifah be deployed on pilgrims' buses.

He emphasized that pilgrims must be informed well in advance whether they will be using bus or train transit to the holy sites, adding that the ritual animal slaughter will be completed timely through Saudi Arabia's Adahi Project.

The Minister issued these directives while addressing a high-level meeting on Haj arrangements on Sunday at the Pakistan Haj Mission office in Aziziya.

The meeting was attended by Federal Secretary for Religious Affairs Abrar Ahmed Mirza, Director General (DG) of the Pakistan Haj Mission Abdul Wahab Soomro, Chief Coordinator Mirza Ali Mahsud, and other senior officials who briefed the minister on transport, catering, and logistical operations.

Sardar Muhammad Yousuf stated that he arrived in Saudi Arabia on the special directives of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to personally review the arrangements, ensuring maximum facilitation for the pilgrims and leaving no room for negligence in grievance redressal.

The Minister also highly commended the exemplary arrangements made by the Saudi government.

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On the occasion, Federal Secretary Abrar Ahmed Mirza noted that the planning phase of the Haj operations has been further streamlined to ensure smooth execution during the core days of the pilgrimage.

Briefing the session, DG Haj Abdul Wahab Soomro and relevant coordinators disclosed that 273 residential buildings have been secured in Makkah's Aziziya, Hayy-an-Naseem, and Batha Quraish areas to accommodate approximately 119,000 pilgrims under the government scheme. He added that the Saudi government has also introduced a dedicated helpline, 1966, for assistance during the Mashair days.

Regarding catering operations, the food Coordinator reported that due to effective management, food-related complaints dropped to less than one percent this year. On transport logistics, officials informed the chair that 450 buses have been deployed for Haram transport in Makkah. However, traffic pressure remains high due to overcrowding and strict security checkposts. To manage the congestion, the Saudi shuttle service is suspended 30 minutes prior to each prayer time, a process being managed through continuous coordination with Tawafa companies and Saudi authorities.

Meanwhile, Director Haj Madinah, Zahid Sohail, briefed the meeting that for the first time in history, the entire volume of 119,000 pilgrims was provided accommodation within the central Markaziya district near the Prophet’s Mosque, and all of them successfully completed their Ziyarat of Riaz-ul-Jannah.