Pakistan, May 17 -- The Pakistan Haj Mission (PHM) has so far received 38,229 Pakistani pilgrims in Saudi Arabia under the government Haj scheme. The pre-Haj flight operation, which began on April 29, continues to run smoothly, transporting pilgrims to Madina and Makkah via 143 flights.

On May 17 alone, another 3,440 pilgrims are set to land through 13 flights. These include five from Lahore, four from Karachi, three from Islamabad, and one from Multan, according to Ministry of Religious Affairs spokesman Muhammad Umar Butt.

This year, 88,380 pilgrims will perform Haj under the government scheme, while over 23,000 will go through the private scheme. On arrival, pilgrims receive their Nusuk Cards, which are essential for entry into Haram...