The oversight of the Hajj operation will be directly conducted by the Minister of Religious Affairs and the federal secretary, as stated by the spokeswoman for the Religious Affairs ministry.
The pre-Hajj flight operation for the government initiative concluded smoothly today. The remaining 380 pilgrims from the government initiative in Islamabad have also arrived in Jeddah.
Within the upcoming 48 hours, a total of 20,000 individuals undertaking a religious pilgrimage will travel to Saudi Arabia to participate in the Hajj. 70,000 pilgrims have successfully arrived in Saudi Arabia via the private Hajj program. The departure of Hajj pilgrims for Mina is scheduled for the evening of June 13th and 14th. The Pakistan Hajj Mission has set up a camp office in Mina to provide convenience.
Hajj licenses have been revoked for domestic pilgrims who do not have the required immunization.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has notified the cancellation of Hajj permits for a number of domestic pilgrims due to their non-compliance with the Neisseria meningitis vaccine requirement.
The ministry announced on its X platform that 90 percent of domestic pilgrims have fulfilled the necessary preventative health criteria, including receiving vaccinations, to save themselves from any infections when interacting with other pilgrims.
The ministry urged the remaining domestic pilgrims to promptly acquire the Neisseria meningitis vaccine in order to prevent the revocation of their Hajj visas.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior reported that the Hajj Security Forces apprehended 21 individuals who were attempting to transport 61 pilgrims to Makkah without a valid Hajj permission. The individuals apprehended at the entry ports of Makkah on June 7 comprised of 13 citizens and eight expats.
The General Directorate of Passports’ seasonal administrative committees have issued a total of 21 administrative decisions against individuals. These decisions entail penalties such as a 15-day imprisonment for each person involved and a fine of SR10,000. The fine is multiplied by the number of violators being transported. The names of the violators will be publicly disclosed in local media, at their own cost. Additionally, the expatriates will be deported after serving their prison sentences, and they will be prohibited from reentering the Kingdom for a duration determined by the law. The committee also resolved to request the court of law to seize three vehicles utilized for transportation.
Lt. Gen. Muhammad Al-Bassami, the Director of Public Security, reported that over 140 fraudulent Hajj companies were apprehended by Public Security authorities during the current Hajj season. The Ministry of Interior has urged all citizens and expats to adhere to the regulations and directions of Hajj in order to ensure the security, safety, and comfort of the pilgrims during the Hajj season.
