Interior minister reviews Hajj immigration arrangements at Islamabad airport under Road to Makkah scheme
By Tanveer Ahmed :
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid a surprise visit to Islamabad International Airport on Thursday to inspect immigration arrangements for Hajj pilgrims and other international passengers under the “Road to Makkah” initiative.
During the visit, the minister reviewed the Saudi immigration counters established at the airport and met officials responsible for handling passenger processing under the programme.
The Road to Makkah initiative enables Pakistani pilgrims to complete Saudi immigration formalities before departing from Pakistan, allowing them to avoid lengthy immigration procedures upon arrival in Saudi Arabia.
Officials briefed the minister on operational arrangements and passenger facilitation measures being implemented at the airport during the Hajj season.
Several pilgrims speaking to the minister expressed satisfaction with the process, saying immigration procedures were completed smoothly and without significant delays.
“The process was extremely easy; we faced no difficulty,” some pilgrims told the minister during the inspection, according to officials present at the airport.
Other international passengers also informed the minister that immigration counters at the airport were functioning efficiently and that clearance procedures were taking only a few minutes.
Mohsin Naqvi later visited the airport’s Joint Search Check Post, where he directed officials to further improve the effectiveness and speed of passenger screening systems.
The interior minister said Pakistan’s airport security infrastructure was being upgraded with modern technology and stressed the importance of balancing security requirements with passenger convenience.
He instructed all departments and agencies operating at the airport to maintain close coordination to ensure smooth operations and avoid unnecessary delays for travellers.
“Providing facilities to passengers without delay is our top priority,” the minister said during the visit.
Senior officials accompanying him included Dr Usman Anwar and Syed Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari.
The Road to Makkah initiative is part of a cooperation programme between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia aimed at simplifying immigration procedures for Hajj pilgrims.
Under the scheme, pilgrims complete immigration clearance at designated airports in their home countries before boarding flights to Saudi Arabia. Upon arrival in cities such as Jeddah and Madinah, travellers can proceed directly to their accommodation without undergoing lengthy airport immigration checks.
The programme currently operates in a limited number of countries, including Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco and Bangladesh.
In Pakistan, the facility is available at airports in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar.
Officials estimate that more than 89,000 Pakistani pilgrims are expected to perform Hajj this year, with roughly half anticipated to travel under the Road to Makkah scheme.
The initiative has gained popularity among pilgrims in recent years because it significantly reduces waiting times and simplifies arrival procedures in Saudi Arabia during the busy Hajj season, when millions of Muslims from around the world travel to the kingdom for the annual pilgrimage.
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