‘No compromise on facilities to Haj pilgrims’

PESHAWAR: Chief Operating Officer of Bacha Khan International Airport, Peshawar, Obaid Ur Rehman Abbasi on Thursday said there would be no compromise on the provision of facilities to the intending pilgrims during Haj operation scheduled to start on July 5.

He was speaking at a meeting, which was attended by Director Haj Shakeel Ahmad Sethi and relevant officers of Peshawar district administration, police, FIA, Press Information Department (PID), Customs, Anti-Narcotics, Pak-Army, Cantonment Board Peshawar, private Haj operators and managers of PIA, Air Blue and Saudi Airlines.

“There will be no compromise on the provision of facilities to the intending pilgrims during Haj operation. The stakeholders should leave no stone unturned to facilitate the intending pilgrims; negligence in this regard will not be tolerated in the entire Haj operation,” Obaid Ur Rehman Abbasi told the officials.

He said that a Joint Search Team (JST) consisting of FIA, ANF & ASF has been constituted for Haj operation.

The official asked the police department to depute sufficient contingent on airport route to control the traffic system in a befitting manner.

“We are dedicated and committed to providing facilities and an easy process system to the intending pilgrims,” he said, adding, “A vaccine facilitation counter will also be established at BKIA, Peshawar to vaccinate the remaining intending pilgrims.” He said that all the departments concerned to appoint a focal person and his cell number to be provided to Haj operation officer, who will be available round the clock for pilgrims’ facilitation. First Haj flight from Peshawar will fly for Madina (Saudi Arabia) on July 5 at 04:00 pm through Saudi Airline. He said 19,000 people under government Haj scheme and 12,500 under private tour operators would fly from Bacha Khan International Airport Peshawar to Saudi Arabia during the coming Haj season. The PIA will operate 14 flights for 10,000 intending pilgrims; Air Blue will operate six flights for 3,300 while Saudi Airline in its schedule 30 flights will accommodate 8,120 intending pilgrims during hajj operation.