Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 6: Around 150 Umrah pilgrims from Kashmir are stranded in Saudi Arabia after their flights were cancelled amid Middle East conflict while over 2000 pilgrims who are on Ramadan package are scheduled to return in the last week of March.
The pilgrims, mostly from Srinagar, Budgam and Anantnag districts, are currently staying in hotels in Mekka, Medina and Jeddah after their flights were cancelled due to airspace restrictions.
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Prevez Ahmad Bhat of Jammu and Kashmir Association of Hajj and Umrah Companies said that around 2500 Umrah pilgrims are currently in Saudi Arabia. “A couple of hundred were scheduled to return this week and the rest of them are scheduled to return in the last week of March,” he said.
“We had some departures in the first week as well but their flights have been cancelled. The family members of the pilgrims should not worry. We have seen in such situations the Saudi government takes care of the pilgrims,” he added.
The Indian missions in Saudi Arabia have issued helpline numbers and advised stranded nationals to remain in contact with tour operators and embassy officials.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed concern over residents of J&K stranded in West Asian countries and said he was monitoring the situation. He noted that the Ministry of External Affairs was working to assist students, pilgrims and others awaiting return.
Relatives of the stranded pilgrims said uncertainty over the resumption of flights has caused anxiety among families back home, particularly as many of the pilgrims are elderly.
Ghulam Mohammad Dar, a resident of Srinagar, said his 68-year-old mother was among those awaiting return.
“She completed her Umrah and was supposed to return, but the flight was cancelled. We have no clarity on when services will resume,” he said.
A family from Anantnag said two of their relatives are in a hotel in Jeddah along with other pilgrims from the Valley after their flights were cancelled.
Rouf Ahmad from Anantnag district said his brother and sister-in-law were stranded in Medina. “They had not planned for a prolonged stay. We hope the authorities intervene and facilitate their return,” he said.
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