Travellers going for Hajj on foot seek NOC
ISLAMABAD:FOUR travellers have demanded of the interior ministry to issue them a No-objection Certificate (NOC) for their endeavour to reach Makkah on foot to perform Hajj.
Mohammad Kamran Baig, Mohammad Faizullah and Mohammad Imran started their journey on Aug.15 from Lahore, Khanewal, and Jhang, respectively, while Mohammad Fayyaz Khan set out on Oct.15 from Karachi.
According to Fayyaz Khan, they have submited online applications for Hajj and applied for an NOC to travel on foot to Saudi Arabia. He said their applications will be considered when the Hajj season opens in 2023. However, they were concerned about the non-issuance of the NOC.
According to them, the document will pave the way for their smooth journey while crossing the borders of four countries.
The friends are hopeful of reaching the Holy City of Makkah in May 2023 after passing through Iran, Iraq and Kuwait. From Makkah, they would travel to arrive in Madinah. They have requested the prime minister, interior and foreign and religious affairs minister, army chief and all officials concerned to issue the NOC.
The group has arrived in Dalbandin, the headquarters of the Chagai district bordering Iran, ater travelling for almost 100 days.
Baig said they walked 25km to 30km on a daily basis, with breaks in the aternoon. “This schedule was set up to avoid any harmful impacts on our health amid harsh weather and keeping in view the long distance,” he said.
Talking about his desire to undertake the journey, Faizullah said he got the motivation ater watching videos of the other three friends.
Ater arriving in Queta, he said, the group started walking towards the destination together.
“The people of Balochistan showed us a lot of love and respect,” he said, adding that district administrations also provided them with security from Queta to Dalbandin.
Chagai Deputy Commissioner Hussain Baloch hosted a dinner for the four men and ensured “his full support and cooperation.” The friends said they were walking on foot to spread the message of peace and religious harmony. “We belong to lower middle-class families and have chosen to travel on foot to see the Holy Kaaba and Roza-e-rasool (PBUH),” they said, adding that they encountered numerous hardships during the journey but it has not “shaken their resolve.”