Ambassador Tipu mentions bus shortage, difficulty in arranging departures; appeals particularly to Pakistanis in Qom
A woman walks in the street after an Israeli and US attack on the Gandhi Hotel Hospital amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran in Tehran, Iran, on March 2, 2026.
Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran, Muhammad Mudassir Tipu, on Monday issued an appeal to Pakistani nationals in the country to register with the embassy immediately for repatriation, warning that securing transport has become increasingly difficult amid the ongoing conflict in the region.
In a post on X, the ambassador said the embassy was facing mounting logistical hurdles in arranging departures. “It will be very difficult to find the buses due to ongoing challenges here,” he wrote. Tipu urged nationals who wish to return and requested them to register with the embassy immediately so that their departure can be planned without further delay.
It will be very difficult to find the buses due to ongoing challenges here – apart from a number of other considerations. Therefore, those of our nationals who wish to go to Pakistan with our cooperation are requested to please register with the embassy immediately so that we can…
— Ambassador Mudassir (@AmbMudassir) March 8, 2026
“I particularly urge our nationals in Qom to cooperate with us in their immediate repatriation,” the ambassador wrote.
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The call comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East as the US and Israel continue their offensive against Iran, with the Islamic Republic attacking US military bases in the region. On February 28, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level review meeting regarding the overall security situation in the country following the attacks. He subsequently directed the Ministry of External Affairs to take all necessary steps to ensure the safe repatriation of Pakistanis stranded in Iran.
Read more: Who is Iran’s New Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei?
Many Pakistanis, including students, pilgrims, tourists and traders, have streamed home from Iran through the Taftan and Gwadar border crossings in Balochistan, while Pakistani missions in Saudi Arabia launched 24-hour helplines and deployed teams at major airports to assist travelers as the conflict continues to spread into the wider Gulf region.
Iran continued to fire missiles at Israel early Monday in the name of the Islamic Republic’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who was chosen to succeed his slain father despite threats from the United States and Israel to target him next.
