KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
As many as 340 Saudi-Arabia bound pilgrims left for Medina Monday at 9:10am while another 340 are scheduled to leave at around 3pm marking departure of first batch of Hajis leaving Srinagar amid mild rains beginning the annual Muslim holy pilgrimage.
Hundreds of pilgrims arrived at Haj House at Bemina today morning forming a bee-line outside the complex as the relatives bade them a goodbye.
“The first flight of Haj pilgrims carrying 340 pilgrims left for Medina today,” an official said.
For the first five days, two Air India flights will operate daily from Srinagar to Medina and after that, one flight will carry Haj pilgrims each day from here till August 31, he said.
A total 6,363 pilgrims are likely to perform Haj from Jammu and Kashmir this year.
Sources told Kashmir Life that management at the Haj House did not had proper arrangement for wheel chairs. They said an elderly woman was carried by orderly’s because wheel chairs weren’t available.
Meanwhile, security officials reportedly harassed photographers and prevented them from discharging their duties. “We were not allowed inside the complex despite fact that we have been reporting on this for years,” one photojournalist said. “Today, for the first time, we weren’t let in.”
