Most people wheeled bulky luggage over the border footbridge, while freight cars formed a long line
Pakistanis walk across the Taftan border while returning from Iran, in Balochistan province on March 3, 2026 amid ongoing US-Israeli attacks on Iran. PHOTO: AFP
Pakistanis lugging suitcases across the border from Iran described missile launches and travel chaos as they scrambled to leave the country hit by US and Israeli strikes at the weekend.
AFP reporters watched a steady stream of people pass through large metal gates at the remote border crossing between Iran’s Mirjaveh and Taftan in Balochistan.
Powerful explosions have rocked Iran’s capital Tehran since Saturday, with embassies from countries around the world asking their citizens to leave the country.
“All our Pakistani brothers who were in Tehran and other cities had started leaving and arrived at the terminal, causing a lot of pressure from the crowd,” said 38-year-old trader Ameer Muhammad. AFP on Monday.
“Because of the crowds, there were major transportation problems.”
Read more: Pakistan pursues US-Iran de-escalation through active diplomacy, Dar tells Senate
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said at a press conference on Tuesday that Pakistan has three consulates working in Iran to offer support to the 35,000 citizens of the country.
Nearly 800 had returned to Pakistan in recent days, he told reporters in Islamabad.
‘Many missiles’
The isolated Taftan border is about 500 kilometers from Quetta.
AFP reporters saw the Iranian flag flying at half-mast as soldiers stood guard.
Most people wheeled large luggage over the border footbridge, while goods wagons formed a long line.
Pakistanis walk across the Taftan border while returning from Iran, in Balochistan province on March 3, 2026 amid ongoing US-Israeli attacks on Iran. PHOTO: AFP
Irshad Ahmed, a 49-year-old traveler, said he was staying in a hostel in Tehran when he saw missiles being fired nearby.
“There was an army base near the hostel and we saw many missiles being fired,” he said.
“Then we went to the Pakistani embassy so they could evacuate us from there. They safely brought us here.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the assistance of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli operation was a “violation” of international law.
“It is an ancient convention that heads of state/government should not be targeted,” he wrote on X.
The Government and people of Pakistan join the people of Iran in their hour of grief and sorrow and express the most sincere condolences on the martyrdom of His Eminence Ayatollah Seyyed Ali
Khamenei.Pakistan also expresses concern over violation of norms of…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) 1 March 2026
“The people of Pakistan join the people of Iran in their hour of grief and sorrow and express the most sincere condolences on the martyrdom of Khamenei,” he added.
This was told by a teacher at Tehran’s Pakistani embassy, who gave his name as Saqib AFP: “Before we left, the situation was normal. The situation was not that bad.”
The 38-year-old said the strikes in Tehran on Saturday “pushed us to leave the city”.
“The situation turned dire on Saturday night as attacks caused precious lives to be lost,” he said.
