Pakistani pilgrims barred from by-road travel to Iran, Iraq this Arbaeen: interior minister

Pakistani pilgrims will be barred from travelling by road to Iran and Iraq for the Arbaeen pilgrimage due to public and national security, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday.

Pilgrims visit Iraq to attend the chehlum commemoration — also known as Arbaeen (40 in Arabic) — to mark the 40th day of mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Husain, the grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

“After extensive consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, [the] Balochistan Government, and security agencies, it has been decided that zaireen (pilgrims) will not be allowed to travel to Iraq and Iran by road for Arbaeen this year,” Naqvi said on X.

He added that the “difficult decision was taken in the interest of public safety and national security”.

However, the pilgrims will be able to travel by air, the minister noted.

Naqvi stressed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to “arrange maximum flights to facilitate their pilgrimage in the coming days”.

Naqvi’s statement came after he met with PM Shehbaz earlier today to brief him on the new policy for pilgrims, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.

The premier also directed Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif to arrange “special flights” for the pilgrims, APP stated, citing a press release from the PM Office.

Iraq’s Karbala, where Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas are buried in two enormous mausoleums facing each other, is the centre of the Shia world during this time. More than 21 million devotees took part in the pilgrimage last year.

Pakistan is set to introduce a new travel management system from Jan 1, 2026, 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 Zaireen Group Organisers model. Alongside weekly flights to Iran being increased from six to 15, 107 additional special flights will also be arranged for pilgrims heading to Iraq.

Earlier this month, Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf retracted his statement that 40,000 pilgrims had not returned from trips to Iran and Iraq. He clarified that a “misunderstanding” of outdated paper records that had not yet been fully digitised resulted in the statement.

PM tells Naqvi to start work on Gwadar Safe City project

During their meeting, PM Shehbaz and Naqvi also discussed the law and order situation in Balochistan, with the premier telling the minister to initiate work on the Gwadar Safe City project.

The project aims to provide a safer city for the residents of Gwadar, particularly at the identified strategic locations and also help law enforcement agencies in detecting and investigating crimes by collecting evidence.

The delay in the project had been highlighted by Senator Quratulain Marri in May as she chaired a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.

Senator Marri had sought a report on a critical discrepancy — the Gwadar Development Authority officials blamed a lack of funds for the project delays, while the Finance Division said it had received no funding demand from the Balochistan government.

On July 11, a representative of the Balochistan government told a high-level government meeting that 30 per cent of the project was complete, with full completion expected by June 2026.

With the initial plan prepared in 2016, the first phase of the Gwadar Safe City project had been approved by the Central Development Working Party in February 2023 for Rs4.97bn.