More than 300 Umrah pilgrims have been stranded in Lahore since Wednesday after a private foreign airline failed to arrange their departure to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
According to the passengers, the airline abruptly cancelled the flight after issuing boarding passes, citing a technical problem with the aircraft. The cancellation occurred at the last moment, leaving the pilgrims unable to travel as scheduled.
The passengers, many of whom were already dressed in ihram, said they have been staying in a hotel in Lahore for the past three days. They said the airline has not provided a clear update about when they will be able to depart.
“We were told at the last moment that the flight was canceled due to a technical fault,” one passenger said. “Airline officials at the airport shifted us to a hotel and assured us we would be flown out the next morning. That promise has not been fulfilled.”
The stranded pilgrims said their accommodations in Makkah and Madinah had already been booked, but three days have now passed without their departure from Lahore.
Passengers said they paid hundreds of thousands of rupees for their tickets and are frustrated by what they describe as a lack of response from the airline’s management.
The group has demanded that the airline arrange their travel to Jeddah without any further delay.