On Sunday, the first group of 145 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir left for Saudi Arabia on the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which had been banned for two years due to COVID-19, reported Press Trust of India (PTI).
About 6,000 pilgrims from J-K are scheduled to undertake the pilgrimage this year, quoting the officials PTI reported. According to the officials, while there will be only a single direct flight from Srinagar airport to Jeddah airport for the first five days, two flights will operate thereafter.
“All arrangements have been put in place. Everything is going on smoothly and the pilgrims will not face any problems,” executive officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Hajj Committee Abdul Salam Mir told reporters, adding that all the pilgrims tested negative for COVID-19.
As per the report, the pilgrimage was flagged off by the executive officer and member of the Hajj Committee of India Aijaz Hussain. Mir said the Hajj Committee and the J-K government have made all arrangements for the pilgrimage. “We have tried to improve facilities for pilgrims this year,” he said.
