ISLAMABAD – The government has decided that pilgrims will not be allowed to travel to Iraq and Iran by road for Arbaeen this year – a difficult decision but taken in the interest of public safety and national security.
The announcement was made by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi here on Sunday. In a post on X, Naqvi said, “After extensive consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Balochistan Government, and security agencies, it has been decided that pilgrims will not be allowed to travel to Iraq and Iran by road for Arbaeen this year”. He said this difficult decision was taken in the interest of public safety and national security.
pilgrims will, however, be able to travel by air, he added. According to Naqvi, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to arrange maximum flights to facilitate the pilgrims in the coming days.
Earlier in the day, Naqvi met with PM Shehbaz earlier to brief him on the new policy for pilgrims. The premier also directed Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif to arrange “special flights” for the pilgrims, according to a press release from the PM Office.
Pakistan is set to introduce a new travel management system from the start of next year, under which pilgrims will only be allowed to undertake the journey under registered organisers. Under the new measures, the traditional ‘Salar System’ will be abolished and replaced with a pilgrims group organisers model. Weekly flights to Iran are also being increased from six to 15 to accommodate maximum pilgrims. A ferry service is also being launched to provide better travel facilities to pilgrims in the future. The authorities said that in light of the current situation, protecting pilgrims from any trouble or difficulty is the government’s top priority.
