LAHORE, Oct 8: PIA’s ongoing pre-Haj operation has carried 48,558 intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia through 116 flights in 20 days with an overall punctuality of 96 per cent, an airline spokesman said here on Monday.

He said the pre-Haj flights from Sialkot concluded with seven flights to Saudi Arabia carrying 3,498 pilgrims.

PIA has so far carried 5,973 pilgrims through 12 flights from Karachi, 8,910 through 18 flights from Islamabad, 8,483 through 17 flights from Lahore, 10,065 through 31 flights from Peshawar, 7,128 through 22 flights from Quetta, 4,501 by nine flights from Multan and 3,498 pilgrims by seven flights from Sialkot.

The airline’s pre-Haj flights will conclude on Oct 20.