Nearly 5,000 Pakistani pilgrims who were stuck at the Iranian border have been permitted entry into Iraq by the Iraqi government.The development happened after the stranded Pakistani pilgrims’ issue was discussed over the phone with his Iraqi counterpart by Pakistan’s interior minister, Rana Sanaullah Khan.
As Pakistan’s security chief requested the issuance of special visas to pilgrims who visited Baghdad for Arba’ein — a Shia religious observance that takes place forty days after Ashura — the Iraqi Interior Minister Othman Ali Farhood reassured Pakistan that they would open all entry points for Pakistani visitors.
A special visa option for Pakistani pilgrims travelling to a Middle Eastern country for the chehlum was also announced by the Iraqi side.The establishment of a joint Pakistan-Iraq committee to resolve pilgrimage-related concerns and take action to advance amicable relations between the two countries was agreed upon by both parties.
The PML-N leader thanked his counterpart for accommodating the requests and assisting the stranded Pakistanis.
