Afghan authorities commence sending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia

KABUL (Khaama Press): Taliban authorities have informed of the departure of the first group of Afghan pilgrims from Kabul International Airport, adding the first flight carrying 342 Afghan pilgrims to Saudi Arabia took off from Kabul on Saturday night.
Taliban’s Acting Prime Minister Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, asked the Afghan pilgrims to sympathize and offer prayers for the sustainability of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
A number of senior Taliban members including acting Prime Minister, Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, Abdul Salam Hanafi, acting Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs of the group went to Kabul Airport to commence the transfer process of Afghan pilgrims.
Taliban’s Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs added that dispatching Afghan pilgrims to perform Hajj had started from the capital and the process will soon start from other zones. According to the ministry, government officials and employees of the Ministry of Hajj tasked by the working committee and pilgrims were part of the first flight leaving for Saudi Arabia.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs has said the Mawlavi Abdul Kabir asked the Afghan pilgrims to offer prayers for peace, prosperity and sustainability of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Transport and civil aviation has said that it will send some 30,000 Afghan pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj through four airports.
It is reported that Saudi Arabia has allowed up to 1 million people from both inside and outside the country to join the Hajj pilgrimage this year, thus expanding the key event to worshippers from outside the Kingdom after two years of tight restrictions.
Afghanistan has been allocated a quota of 13,582 pilgrims to perform the Hajj in 2022, the Kabul Times Reported.