1st Hajj flight from Multan on August 21

“The government will look after all the health facilities required for the Haj pilgrims”.

The first batch of 349 pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh today left for the annual Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia from the Chaudhary Charan Singh global airport, here. Among them, 2,600 will go under government arrangement.

He said that 16 flights including 12 PIA and 4 private airline will transport the intending pilgrims from Multan till September 11.

MLA Mohiuddin Bava said, “From past 7 to 8 years Haj pilgrims have been leaving to Saudi Arabia by direct flights from Mangaluru airport”.

Air India has announced to operate special flights for Hajj pilgrims from seven Indian cities – Delhi, Srinagar, Mumbai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Goa and Nagpur.

Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon and Religion Minister Matiur Rahman saw off the first batch of pilgrims at the airport.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who flagged off the batch, congratulated the pilgrims and wished them safe and memorable journey. As many as 71,684 pilgrims will perform the religious obligation this year under the government scheme and the same number under the private scheme. “Besides special arrangements for the Ahram, the police and home guard volunteers are deployed in sufficient numbers to load and unload the baggage carried by the pilgrims”, Veeri added.