First post-Hajj flight arrives in Kabul today

KABUL pilgrims back home from Saudi Arabia will touch down at the Kabul International Airport today (Saturday), the Ministry of Hajj and Auqaf said.

The ministry spokesman, Habibullah Salehi, told Pajhwok Afghan News the process of returning flights was formally beginning today.

Without giving details, he hoped hajj returnees would have no problems in coming back home from Saudi Arabia because the ministry had put in place special arrangements in this regard.

A total of 24000 Afghans had gone to Saudi Arabia for the performance of this year’s pilgrimage through airports in Kabul, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif. They were airlifted by the state-run Aryana Airlines and privately-run KamAir and Safi Airlines.

Last year, a total of 30,000 Afghans had performed the pilgrimage and the 6000 reduction in their number for this year has been linked to multi-billion-dollar expansion work at the Grand Mosque and fears of the MERS virus.

Reports said 10 Afghan pilgrims have died during the pilgrimage due to old age complications.

ma

Visits: 0