Mubashir Aalam Wani
Srinagar, May 15: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday urged the Government of India to arrange additional Hajj flights from Srinagar to address the backlog of pilgrims stranded due to recent flight disruptions.
“I have taken up with the Government of India the urgent need to arrange additional Haj flights from Srinagar to clear the backlog of 1,895 pilgrims caused by recent flight disruptions. Ensuring a smooth and timely pilgrimage for our pilgrims is the Government’s priority,” Omar Abdullah posted on X.
The air travel disruptions caused by the recent tensions between India and Pakistan have left at least 1,895 Hajj pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir stranded, prompting the J&K Haj Committee to consider operating additional flights to clear the backlog.
Executive Officer of the Haj Committee, Dr Shujhat Qureshi, said that efforts were underway to accommodate those who were unable to fly earlier due to the disruptions. “For additional flights, we are waiting for approval from HCoI. We are expecting a schedule in the next 2-3 days”, Dr Qureshi said.
According to official data, a total of 1,895 pilgrims have been impacted by the week-long disruption and are currently awaiting rebooking. The J&K Haj Committee is in active discussions with the concerned agencies to arrange special flights and clear the backlog at the earliest.
As per the data, of a total of 3622 pilgrims from J&K and 242 from Ladakh, 480 have left from Delhi,10 from Mumbai, 2 from Hyderabad and 1461 from Srinagar, with the rest of the numbers remaining pending. As per the officials, there were a few fresh cancellations as well.
The disruptions have triggered anxiety among intending pilgrims and their families. (KNO)
