‘25 Million Pilgrims’ Expected to Attend Arbaeen Pilgrimage: Iraqi Governor

The governor of the Iraqi holy city of Karbala has announced extensive multi-sector preparations to host an estimated 25 million pilgrims for the Araba’een mourning ceremonies, marking a significant annual increase.

Qassim al-Yassari made the remarks to al-Alam in an interview that the Iranian news network published on Wednesday.

The official highlighted the province’s extraordinary preparations, saying the expected figure was up from the roughly-22-million-strong pilgrims, who visited the city for last year’s ceremonies.

He said the city began welcoming a steadily increasing number of pilgrims for the occasion since 2003, when it officially began hosting the events following the fall of the Arab country’s former dictatorial regime.

Al-Yassari emphasized the comprehensive nature of preparations across infrastructural sectors, including transportation, municipal services, electricity, water, and security.

“These preparations are being implemented synergistically in all these areas,” he said.

The official credited the success of the recent years to “the experience of the past ones and [contributions made by] our specialists in various provincial departments, especially managers, employees, and executive cadres.”

On transportation, he reported progress in developing and reconstructing main roads from Karbala to the capital Baghdad, the city of Babil, and the holy city of Najaf, and constructing many major squares facilitating pilgrim transit.

Al-Yassari noted that public and private transport systems were fully operational, with private fleets transferring pilgrims between provinces and public fleets working under official oversight.

“In the Babil corridor, the Karbala Province has rented 400 buses to transport pilgrims,” he said, adding that the Iraqi ministry of transport was responsible for the Baghdad route, while the country’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Authority oversaw the Najaf route.

He further underlined the province’s enlistment of proper and efficient municipal services so it can manage relevant operations throughout Araba’een’s 15-day period.

According to al-Yassari, emergency water tanks have, meanwhile, been installed in all areas to ensure uninterrupted supply.

On electricity needs throughout the period, he stated that “with support from the country’s prime minister and the minister of electricity, a bottleneck relief plan with 11 projects was implemented, 80% of which are now operational.”

Monumental crowds from across the globe converge on Karbala each year during Arba’een.

Countless mourners set out on foot, making the solemn journey to honor what has become one of the world’s largest recurring Muslim pilgrimages.

In 680 AD, in the plains of southern Iraq, where the city is currently situated, Imam Hussein (AS) and a 72-strong group of his loyal companions were martyred in a historic, heart-wrenching, and heavily lopsided battle.

They stood their ground with unwavering resolve, confronting the overwhelming forces of Umayyad tyrant Yazid I in a fight for justice that would echo through centuries.

Source: presstv.ir