Pakistan sccessfully concludes pre-hajj operations in Madinah

MADINAH, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th May, 2026) Pakistan has successfully concluded its pre-Hajj flights operation to Madinah, as a total of 186 flights brought 46,398 Pakistani pilgrims to the holy city.

97 percent of the pilgrims have safely traveled to Makkah via comfortable buses after completing their stay and prayers at Madina Munawera, and Ziarat of Riaz ul Jannah and other sacred places of the cilty. The Hajj Mission's optimized logistics management reduced the average inter-city transportation cost from Madinah to Makkah to just 14 Saudi Riyals (SAR) per pilgrim, marking a record government saving.

In an exclusive interview with the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), Director Zahid Sohail stated that a total of 46,398 pilgrims arrived in the holy city from various cities of Pakistan aboard 186 flights. The pilgrims completed their stay and local visitations (Ziyarat) in a highly peaceful and facilitated environment. Following that, the Hajj Mission executed a phased, 97 percent successful shift of all pilgrims to Makkah using modern and comfortable transportation vehicles.

Underscoring a major administrative achievement, Sohail noted that the Hajj Mission’s precise coordination enabled every Pakistani pilgrim to visit the sacred places including Riaz-ul-Jannah during their stay.

<?php /*?> <?php */?>

"All pilgrims were accommodated in the central Markaziya district in close proximity to Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, allowing them to comfortably offer their five daily prayers," the director said.

He added that the pilgrims were served high-quality meals prepared with authentic Pakistani spices under a strict quality-control mechanism. "We maintained rigorous checks on the catering companies and will allocate future food production quotas based entirely on their performance this year," he emphasized.

Responding to a query, Sohail informed that under the direct supervision and guidelines of Director General Hajj, Abdul Wahab Soomro, the mission transparently secured more than 119,000 beds in Madinah.

Looking ahead to the post-Hajj phase, the director stated that as soon as over 72,000 pilgrims head toward Madinah after completing the core Hajj rituals, the field teams would welcome and serve them with the same dedication and enthusiasm.