Students, pilgrims, traders cross Taftan, Gwadar borders as instability mounts after US-Israeli strikes
QUETTA:
Pakistani students, pilgrims, tourists and traders are returning from Iran through the Taftan and Gwadar border crossings in Balochistan as tensions in Iran intensify following attacks by the US and Israel.
The repatriation process has been initiated to ensure the safety of Pakistani nationals amid the escalating conflict in the Islamic Republic.
According to the deputy commissioner of Chagai, 19 students crossed the Taftan border from the Iranian city of Zahedan overnight, all affiliated with Zahedan Medical University. The students include 12 from Punjab and seven from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. After completing medical and administrative checks at the border, arrangements are made to transport them to their home provinces.
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Deputy Commissioner Gwadar, Naqeebullah Kakar, told Express Pakinomist that 51 Pakistani citizens have returned via the Gabd-Ramdan border near Gwadar, including five students along with pilgrims, tourists and traders who had been stranded due to the worsening situation in Iran.
Director of Federal Investigation Agency Balochistan, Muhammad Behram Khan, said that immigration facilities are operational round the clock to ensure uninterrupted return of Pakistanis.
All arriving citizens will be provided with food, accommodation and further travel arrangements to their respective provinces as soon as possible, Khan said.
Pakistani authorities have urged citizens still in Iran, especially students and pilgrims, to return immediately via available routes. Officials confirmed that movement at the Taftan and Gwadar borders remains active and more arrivals are expected.
The government said it is taking all possible measures to ensure the safe return of nationals stranded in the country.
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Pakistani authorities initiated the repatriation process of citizens stranded in Iran due to the deteriorating security situation in Iran. The first group of returnees safely crossed the Gabd-Rimdan border and entered Pakistan, marking the beginning of an accelerated humanitarian response amid rising regional instability.
Along with the re-entry of Pakistani citizens, air operations from Pakistan to the Middle East continue to be severely disrupted, with more than 500 domestic and international flights canceled over the past three days. This has left thousands of passengers stranded.
This development comes in the wake of joint attacks by the US and Israel in Iran, which have so far claimed 201 lives and injured over 700 others. The situation worsened when Iranian state media confirmed the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The 86-year-old was allegedly attacked while working in his central leadership role.
Since the assassination, Iran has attacked several US bases in the surrounding Gulf states, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq.
