February 16, 2003	Sunday	Zul Hijjah 14, 1423

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PESHAWAR, Feb 15: The first group of Hajis arrived at the Peshawar International Airport on Saturday.

A PIA chartered plane PK-1602 airlifted 270 Hajis from Jeddah which landed here at 6:30pm, one hour late of its schedule, officials said.

The delay caused lot of inconvenience to the relatives of the Hajis, who waited for several hours in rain outside the airport terminal.

NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani and the Haj Directorate officials received the Hajis at the airport. Concerned authorities had made arrangements to receive the Hajis at the airport.

Officials said PIA would operate 59 chartered flights between Peshawar and Jeddah to bring the 15,825 Hajis, who belong to different parts of NWFP and tribal areas. The Haj flight would culminate on March 17.

Sources said that for the first time the national flag- carrier did not airlift Afghan refugees to Saudi Arabia for Haj this year, apparently due to space shortage. The Saudia was mandated to transport Afghan pilgrims from Peshawar to Jeddah, an official said.

A large number of refugees, living in NWFP and Federally Administered Tribal Areas go to Saudi Arabia from Peshawar for Haj every year, as Pakistan still hosts some 1.5 million registered and unregistered Afghan refugees.