Pakistan halts pilgrim travel via closed Iran-Iraq border crossing
Arab News reports organizers of overland pilgrimage groups have been told to hold travellers while the crossing stays shut, but names no ministry or border point
Pakistan has ordered organizers of pilgrimage groups to stop taking travellers through an Iran-Iraq border crossing that is closed, Arab News reported, a directive that affects Pakistanis who travel overland to Iraq for religious visits.
The report, published on Friday, did not name the crossing, identify the department or official that issued the instruction, or say how many pilgrims or operators it covers. It said only that organizers had been told to halt travel via the crossing while it remains shut.
Most Pakistani pilgrims who go to Iraq by road travel through Iran and enter Iraq at one of the border points between the two countries. When a crossing closes, operators must either hold their groups until it reopens or reroute them to another entry point, adding days to the journey and changing costs for travellers who have already paid for a package.
The closure itself is outside Pakistan's control, and the instruction reported by Arab News is directed at the organizers rather than at the border. It was not clear from the report whether the order covers groups already on the road or only departures still being planned, or how long it is meant to last.
Pilgrim traffic to Iraq picks up around major religious occasions, when Pakistani operators run overland convoys through Iran. Those convoys depend on road permits, visas and the operating hours of the crossings on both sides of the Iran-Iraq frontier.
No Pakistani ministry, border authority or pilgrimage association had issued a public statement on the matter by the time the Arab News report was filed. The number of Pakistanis currently waiting at or near the frontier, and whether any have been stranded, could not be established from the report.
Pakistanis who have booked overland pilgrimage packages have previously faced disruption when border points on the Iran-Iraq route were shut, with operators in some cases switching travellers to air routes. The Arab News report gave no detail on whether such alternatives were being offered this time.
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