{"id":2593,"date":"2026-05-31T08:10:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T08:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/?p=2593"},"modified":"2026-05-31T08:10:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T08:10:26","slug":"pakistans-post-hajj-repatriation-operation-begins-as-first-flight-arrives-in-islamabad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/?p=2593","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan\u2019s Post-Hajj Repatriation Operation Begins as First Flight Arrives in Islamabad"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>ISLAMABAD:<\/strong> The return journey of Pakistani pilgrims has officially begun, with the <strong>first post-Hajj flight arriving in Islamabad from Jeddah<\/strong>, marking the start of a large-scale operation to bring thousands of pilgrims back home after completing their Hajj pilgrimage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to officials, <strong>Flight PK-742<\/strong> landed in Islamabad carrying <strong>114 pilgrims<\/strong>, becoming one of the first flights of the post-Hajj operation for the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Warm Welcome for Returning Pilgrims<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The arriving pilgrims were received at <strong>Islamabad International Airport<\/strong> by senior airport and airline officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Chief Operating Officer of Islamabad International Airport, Aftab Gilani<\/strong>, welcomed the pilgrims upon their arrival. Senior representatives of the <strong>Airport Security Force (ASF)<\/strong> and <strong>Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)<\/strong> were also present to receive the returning Hajj travelers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reception reflected the significance of Hajj, one of the most important religious obligations for Muslims, and the efforts made to ensure a smooth return for pilgrims after their spiritual journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Additional Flights Scheduled<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officials said that the repatriation operation will continue across multiple cities of Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>second Hajj flight, PK-732<\/strong>, was scheduled to depart from Jeddah and arrive in <strong>Lahore<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, Karachi\u2019s first post-Hajj flight, <strong>PK-860<\/strong>, was also scheduled to depart from Jeddah and arrive in the city at approximately <strong>7:25 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Flights will continue to operate regularly over the coming weeks to transport pilgrims from Saudi Arabia to various destinations throughout Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">PIA\u2019s Month-Long Post-Hajj Operation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to a spokesperson, <strong>PIA\u2019s post-Hajj operation will run from May 30 to June 30<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During this period, the national airline will operate flights from both <strong>Jeddah<\/strong> and <strong>Madinah<\/strong> to several major Pakistani cities, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Islamabad<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lahore<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Karachi<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Faisalabad<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Multan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sialkot<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Quetta<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The operation is one of the largest annual aviation undertakings in Pakistan and requires extensive coordination between airline authorities, airport management, and government agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More Than 53,000 Pilgrims to Return via PIA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PIA officials stated that the airline will operate a total of <strong>213 post-Hajj flights<\/strong> during the repatriation phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through these flights, the airline expects to bring back <strong>more than 53,000 Pakistani pilgrims<\/strong> who performed Hajj under various schemes and travel arrangements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The large-scale operation has been carefully planned to ensure that pilgrims are transported safely, efficiently, and comfortably to their home cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Comprehensive Arrangements Completed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PIA has announced that all operational and logistical preparations for the post-Hajj phase have been finalized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The airline stated that special arrangements have been made to facilitate elderly passengers and families returning from the pilgrimage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officials added that the entire operation is being closely supervised by the <strong>Chief Executive Officer of PIA<\/strong>, highlighting the importance attached to the successful completion of the mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Importance of the Post-Hajj Operation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The return of pilgrims is a major annual event that involves coordination between Saudi and Pakistani authorities, airlines, immigration officials, and airport management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many pilgrims spend several weeks in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, performing Hajj rituals in Makkah and visiting the Prophet\u2019s Mosque in Madinah before returning home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The post-Hajj airlift ensures that thousands of pilgrims can return safely and in an organized manner after completing one of the most significant experiences of their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pakistan\u2019s post-Hajj repatriation operation is now underway, with the first flight carrying <strong>114 pilgrims from Jeddah to Islamabad<\/strong> successfully completing its journey. Over the next month, PIA will operate <strong>213 flights<\/strong> from Jeddah and Madinah to major cities across Pakistan, facilitating the return of <strong>more than 53,000 pilgrims<\/strong> and ensuring a smooth conclusion to the 2026 Hajj season for thousands of Pakistani worshippers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ISLAMABAD: The return journey of Pakistani pilgrims has officially begun, with the first post-Hajj flight arriving in Islamabad from Jeddah, marking the start of a..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2591,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/paksouch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/434952_6144988_updates-1.jpg",700,400,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/paksouch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/434952_6144988_updates-1-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/paksouch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/434952_6144988_updates-1-300x171.jpg",300,171,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/paksouch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/434952_6144988_updates-1.jpg",700,400,false],"large":["https:\/\/paksouch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/434952_6144988_updates-1.jpg",700,400,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/paksouch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/434952_6144988_updates-1.jpg",700,400,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/paksouch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/434952_6144988_updates-1.jpg",700,400,false]},"author_info":{"info":["admin"]},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/?cat=3\" rel=\"category\">Pakistan<\/a>","tag_info":"Pakistan","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2593"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2595,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593\/revisions\/2595"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}