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First batch of Hajj pilgrims jet in the...
2007-12-31 09:03:48
By Nasser Kigwangallah
The first batch of 187 Muslim pilgrims who completed performing this year’s Hajj two weeks ago are expected to depart from Saudi Arabia for home today, a government source said yesterday.
The pilgrims, whose travel to the holy city of Mecca for Hajj this year was dogged by a number of hitches, are due to land at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam at around 21.00hrs.
About 1,664 Muslim pilgrims are in Saudi Arabia finalising their visit to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina before returning home.
Speaking to The Guardian in an interview yesterday, Ministry of Infrastructure Development Deputy Permanent Secretary Omary Chambo, who is also chairman of the Hajj Committee, said plans had now been finalised for the pilgrims to start returning home today.
He confirmed that everything had been finalised and the first plane, with 187 pilgrims, would be landing today at 21.00hrs local time.
``As you can see, we are coming from a meeting to discuss details of the safe return of all pilgrims and so far all is going well,`` Chambo said.
He said his ministry had done its level best to ensure that all the pilgrims were back home in time and the delay, which occurred previously, would not be repeated this time around as everything had been finalised to ensure that they arrived back home promptly.
Chambo also confirmed that the Muslim pilgrims who went there through the National Muslim Council (Bakwata) would also be arriving today at 22.00hrs local time.
He said, according to his knowledge, all the 164 Muslim pilgrims who went there through Bakwata would be arriving tomorrow by Yemen Airways and their plane would be landing one hour after the first batch of pilgrims who went for Hajj through other agencies.
About three weeks ago, the intended Muslim pilgrims faced hardships at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam since December 3, when they were supposed to leave.
The journey to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, was made possible after government’s intervention that rescued the situation.
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