MAKKAH: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, saw off Hajj pilgrims in Makkah today as the government’s repatriation operation officially commenced, ARY News reported.
A special ceremony was held to mark the launch of the post-Hajj flight operations in Makkah.
The Minister attended as the Chief Guest, cutting a cake to celebrate the highly successful completion of Hajj 2026.
Speaking at the event, the Minister commended both the Government of Pakistan and the local Hajj Mission for providing top-tier facilities and support to the pilgrims.
The Pakistani pilgrims departed for home carrying prayers, pleasant memories, and deep spiritual insights.
The first return flight, PK-964, is scheduled to depart from Jeddah to Sialkot tonight at 10:20 PM.
Following this, a massive schedule of 21 Hajj flights will take to the skies on June 1 to bring pilgrims home.
Among these, five flights will head to Islamabad, four to Karachi, four to Lahore, two to Multan, two to Sialkot, two to Faisalabad, and one to Quetta.
An estimated 5,628 pilgrims will return to Pakistan during the first two days of this operation.
Four major airlines—Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Saudi Arabian Airlines, AirSial, and Airblue—are actively participating in the government’s flight schedule.
The entire post-Hajj repatriation operation, which will bring back approximately 119,000 pilgrims, is set to continue until June 30.