Adil Lateef
Srinagar, Aug 10: Amid unrest and continued lockdown in Valley, the first batch of Hajj pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir today left for Saudi Arabia to perform annual Islamic pilgrimage, Hajj, which is also one of the five pillars of Islam.
Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, accorded a warm send-off to the first batch of Hajj pilgrims at Srinagar International Airport here and wished them a safe journey and smooth performance of ‘Manasik-e-Hajj’ (duty of Hajj).
The first batch of the Hajj pilgrims left for the holy city of Medina, which houses the mosque of Prophet Muhammad, in a direct Air India flight. The pilgrims who left for the holy city in the first flight included 238 from Anantnag, 56 from Srinagar, 11 from Baramulla, 8 each from Kulgam and Shopian, 6 from Pulwama, 4 from Budgam, 3 from Jammu and 2 each from Kupwara and Ganderbal.
This year, 6457 Hajj piligrims from J&K are scheduled to perform Hajj. They will be flown to Madina from Srinagar International Airport in 20 flights with two flights operating each day. Meanwhile, the second flight carrying another 340 Hajis left the Srinagar International Airport for Madina Munnawarra in the afternoon.
Interacting with the pilgrims, the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti wished them well-being and smooth conduct of ‘Haj-e-Baitullah’ and also asked them to pray to Allah for peace and progress of the State as well as safeguarding its people from the tragedies and miseries of violence and bloodshed.
“The Hajis (Hajj pilgrims) thanked the Chief Minister for ensuring elaborate arrangements at the Hajj House and Srinagar International Airport,” the spokesman said, adding all arrangements of transportation, boarding and lodging, luggage checking and security at Srinagar Hajj House and hassle-free screening of baggage, refreshment, food, Nimaz, distribution of travel documents and issuance of boarding passes at the Srinagar Airport are in place for the Hajj pilgrims.
Speaking to reporters, the pilgrims said that they will pray for the peace and prosperity in the Valley. “It is imperative for us to pray for the return of peace and normalcy as people are in distress, misery and agony this time in Kashmir. We will pray for peace and will seek blessings of Allah,” they said. Despite curfew and shutdown, large number of people earlier accompanied the pilgrims’ upto Hajj House in Bemina area and accorded warm and emotional send off to them.
Among others, Minister for Hajj and Auqaf, Syed Farooq Andrabi, Director General Police (DGP) S P Mishra, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Khan, IGP Kashmir, Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gillani, member Hajj Committee of India, Mohammad Irfan Ahmad and other officers of civil and police administration and Airports Authority of India (AAI) were present on the occasion.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
