Students, pilgrims, traders cross Taftan and Gwadar borders as instability deepens following 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 United States 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 being made to transport them to their home provinces.
Read: US cancels visa appointments in Pakistan after deadly protests
Deputy Commissioner Gwadar, Naqeebullah Kakar, told The Express Tribune that 51 Pakistani citizens have returned via the Gabd-Ramdan border near Gwadar, including five students alongside pilgrims, tourists and traders who had been stranded due to the deteriorating situation in Iran.
Director of Federal Investigation Agency Balochistan, Muhammad Behram Khan, said immigration facilities are operating around the clock to ensure the uninterrupted return of Pakistanis.
All arriving citizens are being provided food, accommodation and onward travel arrangements to their respective provinces as soon as possible, Khan said.
Pakistani authorities have urged citizens still in Iran, particularly 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.
Read More: Streets aflame in outrage over attack on Iran
Pakistani authorities initiated the repatriation process for citizens stranded in Iran due to the deteriorating security situation in Iran. The first group of returnees safely crossed the Gabd-Rimdan border and re-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 remain severely disrupted, with more than 500 domestic and international flights being cancelled over the past three days. This has left thousands of passengers stranded.
These developments come in the wake of joint strikes by the United States and Israel in Iran, which have claimed 201 lives so far and have injured over 700 others. The situation deteriorated when Iranian state media confirmed the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The 86-year-old was reportedly targeted while working in his central leadership compound.
Since the killing, Iran has targeted multiple US bases in surrounding Gulf States, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq.
