First batch of Hajj pilgrims return to Srinagar, rest to come back on June 26
Chief minister (CM) Omar Abdullah received the first batch of Hajj pilgrims at the Srinagar International Airport. The CM personally welcomed and congratulated the pilgrims on their safe return. He interacted with the pilgrims and inquired about their experiences and the facilities provided during the pilgrimage.
The pause in the return of the flights is to compensate for the time some pilgrims missed in the holy land as they couldn't start the journey on time in May owing to the suspension of Hajj flights after the military standoff between India and Pakistan. 'The first batch of pilgrims who had left for the journey on time on May 4 have now returned but the rest of the flights will start returning from June 26,' said Shujaat Qureshi, executive officer of the J&K Hajj Committee.
The first returning batch comprised 178 pilgrims, out of the total 3,606 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir who undertook the pilgrimage this year.
The flight operations at the airport were suspended on May 7 when India targeted terror infrastructure at nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
Hajj flights from Srinagar were also affected due to the closure of the Srinagar airport. The first batch of 178 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir had left for Saudi Arabia on May 4 for the annual pilgrimage, but the authorities had to cancel seven flights of pilgrims that were to leave between May 7 and 12. The flights had then resumed from May 14.
'Those pilgrims, who had commenced their journeys late owing to the situation in May, will spend these days there before returning from June 26 onwards,' he said.
Usually, the Hajj pilgrims from J&K spend a minimum of 40 days in Saudi Arabia as part of the package.
A government spokesperson said that the government has made elaborate arrangements to ensure a hassle-free arrival experience for the pilgrims.
'Necessary logistical and transport facilities have been put in place to facilitate their smooth journey from the airport to their respective destinations across Jammu and Kashmir,' the spokesperson said.
There has been around 50% decline in the number of pilgrims who performed Hajj from Jammu and Kashmir this year as compared to 2024, officials said, citing costlier Hajj rates owing to discontinuation of subsidy, disinterest of foreign airlines and high temperatures as the reason.
Last year 7,008 pilgrims from J&K performed the Hajj as against 12,079 pilgrims in 2023. In 2022, around 6,000 pilgrims from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh performed the pilgrimage, while the Hajj could not be held in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid restrictions.
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