Islamabad
The post-Hajj operation for 2024 has concluded successfully, with Dr. Mirza Ali Mehsood, Senior Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, congratulating all Pakistani pilgrims on their safe return and the completion of their Hajj rituals. He expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Religious Affairs staff, the Office of the Pilgrims Affairs (OPAP) staff, Moavineen, Hajj Medical Mission, and other Khudam ul Hujaj for their relentless efforts in facilitating the Pakistani pilgrims during the post-Hajj phase.
In an interview, Dr. Mehsood highlighted the establishment of Main Control Offices in Makkah, Madinah, and Jeddah, which were divided into various sections such as the Medina Departure Cell, Lost and Found Cell, Complaints Cell, and Monitoring Cell to provide round-the-clock assistance to the pilgrims.
Dr. Mehsood also delivered an important message to the Moavineen for the 2025 Hajj, emphasizing that Allah has declared the pilgrims as His Guests. He stated, “Moavineen and ministry staff, comprising officials and officers of grade 7-21, are deployed to serve these guests of Allah in the Holy lands of Makkah and Madinah. They are required to take care of guests of Allah. We should shun our arrogance, status, and authority while serving the Guests of Allah. It should be taken as a rank-less assignment given by Allah to take care of His guests. It’s the biggest blessing of Allah on us all to be chosen for serving His guests in Haramain Sharifain. Such an opportunity may never come in our lives again, and therefore we must fully make use of it.”
Zia Ur Rehman, Director of Hajj in Madinah, praised the operation’s success, stating that Pakistani pilgrims were supported at every stage, including food, accommodation, and transportation. He noted that due to demolition and new construction, it was very difficult to get accommodations in Markazia Madinah, but with our efforts, we arranged all accommodations for Pakistani pilgrims in Markezia, a significant achievement. He also mentioned that 66,000 Pakistani pilgrims had visited Riaz Ul Jannah, with a few thousand remaining who will visit soon.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs introduced several new initiatives this Hajj, including the launch of the Pak Hajj app, free Ufone SIM cards, and NTS-based Moavineen, which greatly assisted Pakistani pilgrims throughout their holy journey.
Imran Mashal, Deputy Secretary, confirmed that 66,000 Pakistani pilgrims received Zamzam water according to airline policies. Jamil-ur-Rehman, Assistant Director, praised the Pak Hajj app as a successful and unique initiative that kept pilgrims in constant contact with the ministry. The app provided access to complaints, training materials, accommodation details, flight schedules, and other services, greatly aiding pilgrims throughout their journey.
Muhammad Hafeez, Section Officer, lauded the NTS-based Moavineen initiative for its critical role. He emphasized that all Moavineen were selected through a transparent process, passing both written and physical tests.
Mushtaque Asghar, DCO, reported that 36,900 complaints were received through the Pak Hajj app, of which 34,979 were successfully resolved in a timely manner.
In his concluding remarks, Syed Mushahid Hussain Khalid, DG (R&R), thanked the ministry and OPAP team for the successful Hajj operation, attributing it to team effort and the hard work of the staff. He congratulated all Pakistani pilgrims on their successful Hajj and encouraged them to fill out the feedback survey on the Pak Hajj app to provide their reviews on the arrangements made for Hajj 2024 and offer suggestions for Hajj 2025.
