Pakistani government apologizes to Arbaeen pilgrims; promises cheap flights to Iraq instead of land travel

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - International Service: On Thursday evening, during a joint press conference with Shiite party officials in Karachi, the Pakistani government apologized to the country's Arbaeen pilgrims for the ban on land travel to Iran and Iraq and promised that special flights at low rates will be launched to transport pilgrims to Iraq.

 

This decision was made after widespread sit-ins and protests by Shiites in the cities of Karachi and Quetta; the protesters threatened to march to the border and demanded the lifting of the ban on land travel. Following these developments, Pakistan's Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry, along with Sindh Governor Kamran Tsori, and senior officials of the Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen and Shia Ulema Council, attended a press conference and announced the new agreements.

 

While expressing regret over the restrictions imposed, Chaudhry stressed that the ban was only for this year and that the Pakistani government would be committed to facilitating land travel and providing better services to pilgrims from next year. He also announced that clerics and students residing in Iran who are present at border crossings are allowed to cross the border legally.

 

According to IRNA, he further announced an agreement with Iraqi authorities to extend the validity of Iraqi visas to 60 days and added that special flights to Iraq have been planned for pilgrims who have Iraqi visas but are unable to travel by land. These flights will be operated at very low prices and the transfer of pilgrims will continue during the month of Safar.

 

Earlier, Pakistan's Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi announced that in order to maintain public security, the difficult decision to ban land travel for Arbaeen pilgrims has been taken and that increasing air travel capacity is on the agenda.