Search form

You are here

  • Home
  • Pakistan begins Hajj operations as first flight departs from Islamabad with 442 pilgrims


Pakistan begins Hajj operations as first flight departs from Islamabad with 442 pilgrims

Short Url

https://arab.news/j9fds

Updated 29 April 2025
Follow

Pakistan begins Hajj operations as first flight departs from Islamabad with 442 pilgrims

  • Over 89,000 Pakistani pilgrims will travel to Makkah and Madinah under government scheme via 342 flights
  • Pakistan’s religious affairs minister urges pilgrims to adhere to Saudi Arabia’s laws during Islamic pilgrimage
Updated 29 April 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan kicked off its Hajj flight operations on Tuesday morning with the first batch of 442 pilgrims departing from Islamabad for Madinah under the Makkah Route Initiative, the country’s national airline said in a statement. 
Over 89,000 pilgrims will travel under the government’s scheme during Pakistan’s 33-day-long Hajj flight operations. Pilgrims will travel to Makkah and Madinah via 342 flights in total, with the last one departing from Pakistan on May 31.
“The first Hajj flight for this year, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-713 carrying 442 pilgrims, departed under the Route to Makkah scheme from Islamabad International Airport today (Tuesday) at 4:45 am,” a PIA spokesperson said. 




Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf (left) and Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki (right) arrive at the New Islamabad International Airport to bid farewell to Hajj pilgrims in Islamabad on April 29, 2025. (Photo courtesy: MORA/Handout)

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf and Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki bid farewell to the pilgrims at the airport.
The Makkah Route Initiative is designed to streamline immigration processes by enabling pilgrims to complete official travel formalities at their departure airports. Initially tested in Islamabad in 2019, the program was later expanded to Karachi, benefitting tens of thousands of Pakistani travelers. This saves pilgrims several hours upon arrival in the Kingdom, as they can simply enter the country without having to go through immigration again. 
Around 50,500 Pakistani pilgrims will travel to Saudi Arabia under the initiative this year. The scheme was launched in 2019 by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and has been implemented in five countries: Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco and Bangladesh.
A total of 28,400 pilgrims will leave for Saudi Arabia through 100 flights from the Islamabad airport, Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry said. Seven special immigration counters have been set up at the Islamabad airport to facilitate pilgrims under the Makkah Route Initiative.
The remaining 22,500 pilgrims will avail the scheme at the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. 




Officials brief Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf (2R) and Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki (3R) on the immigration process as they arrive at the New Islamabad International Airport to bid farewell to Hajj pilgrims in Islamabad on April 29, 2025. (Photo courtesy: MORA/Handout)

Yousaf advised Pakistani pilgrims to strictly adhere to Saudi Arabia’s laws and respect the local culture during the annual Islamic pilgrimage.
“As Hajj pilgrims, you are traveling to the sacred land as the guests of Allah and ambassadors of Pakistan, and you are urged to respect the laws and culture of Saudi Arabia,” the minister said in a televised address, as he bid farewell to the pilgrims.
Yousaf said he would “soon” travel to Saudi Arabia to review Hajj arrangements.




Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf speaks to pilgrims ahead of their departure for Madinah for Hajj 2025, at the New Islamabad International Airport in Islamabad on April 29, 2025. (Photo courtesy: MORA/Handout)

“I will take every possible measure to resolve the issues faced by Pakistani pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and will personally be among them to provide facilities,” he added. 
Yousaf said the government was striving to extend the Makkah Route Initiative facilities to more Pakistani cities in the future.
“I am thankful to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, for the excellent arrangements,” he added.
Yousaf said each pilgrim was provided a mobile SIM card that contains an application, which can be used to guide pilgrims with directions in case they lose their way in Mina.




Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf and Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki with other officials gesture for a group photo at the New Islamabad International Airport in Islamabad on April 29, 2025, as they bid farewell to pilgrims for Hajj 2025. (Photo courtesy: MORA/Handout)

Meanwhile, the second Hajj flight of the day departed from Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore, carrying 150 pilgrims to Madinah at 8:00 am via AirSial airline’s flight PF-7700.
Six flights are scheduled to depart from Pakistan for the Kingdom on Tuesday: two from Lahore and one each from Islamabad, Karachi, Quetta and Multan.
This year’s annual pilgrimage will take place in June, with nearly 89,000 Pakistanis expected to travel to Saudi Arabia under the government scheme and over 23,620 Pakistanis expected to perform Hajj through private tour operators.

Topics: Hajj 2025 Pakistan Hajj pilgrims Makkah Route initiative Islamabad airport Saudi Ambassador Nawaf Bin Said Al-Malki Pakistan Saudi Ties

Related

video
Pakistan
Saudi delegation arrives in Pakistan to review Makkah Route Initiative arrangements
Pakistan
Pakistan asks intending pilgrims to get vaccinated against meningitis, flu before leaving for Hajj

Pakistan condemns airstrikes by Israeli forces in Lebanon on eve of Eid Al-Adha

Updated 8 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan condemns airstrikes by Israeli forces in Lebanon on eve of Eid Al-Adha

  • Israeli strikes pummelled southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital late on Thursday, sending thousands fleeing 
  • Israeli strikes also hit southern Lebanese village of Ain Qana shortly after evacuation warnings were issued for the area 
Updated 8 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan on Friday “unequivocally” condemned airstrikes by Israeli forces on Beirut’s suburbs and parts of southern Lebanon on the eve of the Eid Al-Adha religious holiday, the foreign office said. 

Israeli air strikes pummelled the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital late on Thursday, sending thousands of people fleeing on the eve of the Muslim feast day and prompting accusations by top Lebanese officials that Israel was violating a ceasefire deal.

At least 10 strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs — a sprawling area known as Dahiyeh — in a wave of bombing that began about 90 minutes after the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for four sites in the area.

It was the fourth time that Dahiyeh has been bombed since a US-brokered truce in November ended a year-long war between Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese armed movement Hezbollah.

“These attacks, launched on the eve of Eid Al-Adha, constitute a blatant violation of international law, sovereignty of Lebanon, and the ceasefire agreement of November 2024,” the Pakistani foreign office said. 

“The reckless use of force threatens civilian lives, fuels regional instability, and undermines efforts for lasting peace.” 

Pakistan urged the international community, particularly the United Nations and ceasefire mediators, to take “immediate action to hold Israeli occupying forces accountable and prevent further escalation.”

The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire says Hezbollah must pull all military equipment and fighters out of southern Lebanon and says all non-state militant groups must be disarmed across the country.

The Israeli military said on Thursday it was planning to strike “underground UAV production infrastructure sites that were deliberately established in the heart of the civilian population” in Dahiyeh.

It said Hezbollah was producing thousands of drones there, “with the direction and funding of Iranian terrorists.”

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, which in the past has denied placing military infrastructure in civilian areas.

Israeli strikes also hit the southern Lebanese village of Ain Qana, according to Lebanese state media, shortly after evacuation warnings were issued for the area.

The attacks occurred as the Muslim holiday Eid Al-Adha was due to begin on Thursday. The strikes “generated renewed panic and fear on the eve of Eid Al-Adha,” the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon said on X.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam both condemned the attacks as a “blatant violation” of international agreements.

With inputs from Reuters

Topics: pakistan palestine ties Eid Al-Adha 2025

Trump says brokered India-Pakistan ceasefire on trade warning, threat of nuclear war

Updated 35 min 44 sec ago
Follow

Trump says brokered India-Pakistan ceasefire on trade warning, threat of nuclear war

  • India and Pakistan reached US-brokered ceasefire on May 10 to end hostilities that had spiraled alarmingly, threatening regional peace
  • Between May 7-10, two sides used fighter jets, drones, missiles, artillery to attack each other in worst fighting between them in decades 
Updated 35 min 44 sec ago
Usama Iqbal Khawaja

ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump said this week he had brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan last month through a trade warning and because of the threat of the conflict spiraling into a nuclear war. 

Nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all military actions on land, in the air and at the sea on May 10 in a US-brokered ceasefire to end escalating hostilities that had spiraled alarmingly, threatening regional peace.

The two sides used fighter jets, drones, missiles and artillery to attack each other in the worst fighting between them in decades, leaving around 70 people dead on both sides of the border.

Speaking at the White House where he was hosting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump said on Thursday he was “proud” that he has been able to broker the truce. 
“I spoke to some very talented people on both sides ... and I said, you know, we’re dealing with you on trade, Pakistan and India right now. I said we’re not going to deal with you on trade if you’re going to go shooting each other and whipping out nuclear weapons that maybe even affect us,” Trump said. 

“Because you know that nuclear dust blows across oceans very quickly, it affects us.

“And I said if you’re going to do that, we’re not going to do any trade deals, and you know what, I got that war stopped.”

He credited the “good and strong” leadership of both countries for backing off from the military confrontation.

Since the ceasefire, Pakistan has repeatedly thanked Trump for his mediation during the crisis while India rejects it acted due to US pressure. 

Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations and both countries have fought three wars, two of them over the disputed region of Kashmir. The latest military conflict between them was also triggered by a gun attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists on April 22.

India struck multiple Pakistani cities on May 7, blaming the April 22 attack on Pakistan. Islamabad denied any complicity in the assault and reciprocated with similar strikes against Indian military targets. A ceasefire was brokered on May 10 after both countries struck each other’s air bases, airfields and other military facilities.

Topics: US President Donald Trump Pakistan India standoff

Under new World Bank threshold, over 44% Pakistanis now live below poverty line

Updated 06 June 2025
Follow

Under new World Bank threshold, over 44% Pakistanis now live below poverty line

  • Over 107 million Pakistanis live below poverty line, earning less than Rs1,200 a day
  • Over 39 million included in extreme poverty category, as per new poverty threshold
Updated 06 June 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Around 44.7% of Pakistan’s population is now considered to be living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank’s newly updated global poverty threshold set at $4.20 per person per day and released this week. 

Christina Wieser, senior economist at the World Bank and Tobias Haque, lead country economist for World Bank Pakistan, told media on Thursday the Bank was updating its global poverty lines to reflect changes in the cost of living and consumption habits of people around the world based on newly available data.

As price levels and the cost of basic needs across the world and within income groups evolve, global poverty lines are periodically updated to allow for global comparisons, Wieser said.

The new poverty lines are $3 per person per day for low-income countries (LIC), $4.20 for lower-middle-income countries (LMIC) and $8.30 for upper-middle-income countries (UMIC.)

Pakistan, with a population of over 240 million, is considered a lower-middle-income nation. 

“The revisions help position Pakistan’s poverty levels in a global context and underscore the importance of continued efforts to reduce vulnerability and improve resilience,” World Bank Country Director for Pakistan Najy Benhassine told media. 

“The new figures reflect updated international thresholds and improved data from other countries, not a deterioration in living standards.”

As a lower-middle-income country, Pakistan’s new poverty statistics reveal that the extreme poverty line, now at $3 per person per day, applies to 16.5% of its population, a substantial increase from 4.9% under the previous $2.15 benchmark. 

The upper-middle-income poverty line, established at $8.30 per person per day, applies to 88.4% of the country’s population.

As per the new poverty threshold, more than 107.95 million people in Pakistan are living below the poverty line, earning less than Rs1,200 a day, while more than 39.8 million people are included in the extreme poverty category.

The updated figures are part of the World Bank’s Global Poverty June Update 2025, an initiative aimed at enhancing the precision and relevance of global poverty assessments.

Topics: poverty World Bank Pakistan economy

Pakistani PM to meet Saudi Crown Prince today to bolster bilateral ties, discuss regional security

Updated 06 June 2025
Follow

Pakistani PM to meet Saudi Crown Prince today to bolster bilateral ties, discuss regional security

  • During his stay on June 5 and 6, Sharif will celebrate Eid Al-Adha, hold bilateral meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
  • Discussions are expected to focus on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment and regional security, welfare of Muslim Ummah
Updated 06 June 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia this week where he will meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman today, Friday, and discuss trade and investment as well as regional security matters. 

The Pakistani prime minister will celebrate Eid Al-Adha in the Kingdom and hold a bilateral meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince that is expected to focus on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment and regional security.

Sharif reached Jeddah on Thursday evening and departed for Makkah to perform Umrah, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

“The two leaders will discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields, including trade and investment, welfare of the Muslim Ummah, and regional peace and security,” PMO said about Sharif’s meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince later today, Friday. 

Sharif is also expected to express gratitude to the Saudi leadership for their role in de-escalating recent tensions between Pakistan and India. 

Last month, following the worst military confrontation between India and Pakistan in decades, Saudi Arabia, along with other Gulf nations, played a key role in mediating between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, helping to avert a potential war. 

The visit also comes amid deepening economic ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. In recent months, the two countries have signed multiple agreements aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investment. Notably, Saudi Arabia has committed to a $5 billion investment package to support Pakistan’s economy, which has been grappling with a balance of payments crisis.

Last year, Saudi and Pakistani businessmen signed 34 memorandums of understanding worth $2.8 billion, covering sectors such as industry, technology, and agriculture. Additionally, Saudi Arabia’s Manara Minerals is in talks to acquire a 10-20 percent stake in Pakistan’s $9 billion Reko Diq copper and gold mining project, one of the largest of its kind globally.

Defense cooperation is also a key component of the bilateral relationship. The two nations have a history of military collaboration, with Saudi Arabia providing support to Pakistan during times of regional tension and Pakistan training Saudi forces. 

Pakistan has a 2.7 million-strong diaspora in Saudi Arabia, which accounts for the highest remittance inflow, a crucial lifeline for the country’s economy.

Topics: Pakistan Saudi Arabia ties Shehbaz Sharif in Saudi Arabia

Pakistan says India’s use of nuclear-capable missiles boosts risk in future conflict

Updated 06 June 2025
Follow

Pakistan says India’s use of nuclear-capable missiles boosts risk in future conflict

  • Bilawal Bhutto Zardari says India used supersonic missile with nuclear capabilities during latest confrontation 
  • India has not officially declared its BrahMos missile to be nuclear capable, has stated no-first-use nuclear policy
Updated 06 June 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The head of a delegation visiting Washington DC to present Islamabad’s position following a recent military standoff with New Delhi said on Thursday India’s use of a nuclear-capable missile during the conflict had made the situation more precarious.

India and Pakistan have dispatched delegations to world capitals to defend their positions following last month’s four-day conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, a former foreign minister, is leading a Pakistani team of lawmakers and former diplomats to the US and will go onwards to London and Brussels. A separate Indian team led by Indian opposition lawmaker Shashi Tharoor is also in the US for official meetings.

The latest escalation between May 7-10 saw the two countries’ militaries trade missile, drones and artillery fire before a ceasefire was brokered by the US and other allies.

 “Our concern for next time, heaven forbid, for next time round is that the threshold is low for a military conflict,” Bhutto Zardari said in an interview with Bloomberg News in Washington.

He said India’s use during the conflict of a supersonic missile with nuclear capabilities presented a new danger in future clashes. 

“Now we then have about 30 seconds time to decide, off a grainy little image, this nuclear-capable missile — is it armed with a nuclear weapon? And how do we respond?”

In any future conflict, Bhutto Zardari added, both countries were likely to climb the “escalation ladder” too quickly for President Donald Trump or other leaders to intervene.

India has not officially declared its BrahMos missile to be nuclear capable and has a stated no-first-use nuclear policy. On Saturday, a top Indian military official said the conflict with Pakistan in May never came close to the point of nuclear war.

The latest conflict was sparked by an April attack by gunmen that killed 26 civilians — mostly Indian tourists — in Indian-administered Kashmir. India accused Pakistan of being behind the attack, which Islamabad denies.

After the conflict concluded with a ceasefire, which Trump said was brokered by the US, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India wouldn’t hesitate to use force against “terror camps” in Pakistan again, calling the response a “new normal” in relations. 

India has denied the May 10 ceasefire was the result of US intervention.

“The new sort of normal, or we call it an abnormal, that the Modi government is trying to impose on the region is that if there’s a terrorist attack anywhere in India, mainland India and Indian-occupied Kashmir, you don’t have to provide a shred of evidence.” Bhutto Zardari said. 

“You just need an accusation, and you launch into full-blown war with Pakistan. Therefore, from our perspective, it’s of the utmost importance that Pakistan and India engage in a comprehensive dialogue.”

India insists it attacked militant hideouts inside Pakistan during the latest conflict, marking the deepest breach into Pakistani territory since their 1971 war. Pakistan retaliated and shot down six Indian warplanes, using Chinese-made J-10C fighters to take down three French-made Rafales flown by India, said Bhutto Zardari.

India’s military has confirmed that it lost an unspecified number of fighter jets but said it was “absolutely incorrect” that Pakistan shot down six of its warplanes.

Pakistan has welcomed the US’s involvement in the dispute and called for an international investigation into its cause. India has historically rejected any third-party mediation with Pakistan.

“India will deal with Pakistan purely bilaterally,” India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told his German counterpart on May 23. “There should be no confusion in any quarter in that regard.”

Topics: Pakistan India standoff Former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari

Latest updates

Gaza marks the start of Eid Al-Adha with outdoor prayers among the rubble and food growing ever scarcer
Pakistan condemns airstrikes by Israeli forces in Lebanon on eve of Eid Al-Adha
Lebanese army warns Israeli airstrikes might force it to freeze cooperation with ceasefire committee
Canada and China agree to ‘regularize communications’
Jordanians bask in glory of World Cup qualification

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2025 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.