KARACHI: The intending pilgrims from Pakistan, which will perform Haj in 2024, will get additional facilities as compared to the past years.

This was stated by Caretaker Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Aneeq Ahmed, as he held a meeting with Saudi Arab’s Minister for Haj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, in Riyadh, according to a statement on Sunday. The meeting was held to finalise the arrangements for pilgrims. The meeting was also attended by Pakistani Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Farooq.

The Caretaker Federal Minister said that arrangements would soon be finalised for the lodging, messing, and travelling facilities of the intending pilgrims. He said the flight schedule for the intending pilgrims from Pakistan would soon be finalised. The accommodation facilities for the Pakistani pilgrims will be located near the holiest sites in Saudi Arabia. The Road-to-Makkah project will be launched from other cities of Pakistan apart from Islamabad. He expressed gratitude to the Saudi Arab rulers for providing patronage to the Saudi Ministry for Haj and Umrah for providing the best facilities to the pilgrims.

The Saudi Minister for Haj and Umrah said that his government would extend maximum cooperation to the pilgrims from Pakistan. He said that new steps had been taken by the Saudi government to facilitate the pilgrims. He said that an unlimited number of private tour operators from 80 countries of the world could now send people to Saudi Arabia.

He said the Saudi government had been thinking about the option of including Karachi and Lahore in the Road-to-Makkah project. The Saudi Haj and Umrah Minister informed the Pakistani delegation that the Road-to-Makkah project was gradually being expanded. He said that he had recently visited Pakistan to finalise Haj arrangements beforehand.