Key Points
- Both sides to enhance cooperation in security, counterterrorism, and the prevention of human trafficking.
- Iraq assures entry for all pilgrims cleared and listed under Pakistan’s Interior Ministry.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iraq have agreed to significantly strengthen coordination on security and the regulated management of Pakistani pilgrims.
The understanding was reached during a meeting between Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Iraqi counterpart, General Abdul Ameer Al‑Shammari, Radio Pakistan reported on Friday.
In the meeting, the Iraqi minister assured that all pilgrims included in the lists submitted by Pakistan’s Interior Ministry would be allowed entry, marking clear support for Islamabad’s shift to a stricter, state‑regulated pilgrim travel regime.
Naqvi, in turn, reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to enforcing return timelines and maintaining close operational coordination with Iraqi authorities.
Under Pakistan’s new Ziyarat Management Policy, only licensed Ziyarat Group Organisers (ZGOs) can arrange travel, replacing the decades‑old informal “Salar” system that had led to tens of thousands of overstays across Iraq, Iran, and Syria.
Authorities have completed security clearance for 585 companies seeking registration, with further scrutiny ongoing.
The two ministers also agreed to bolster information sharing, enhance joint mechanisms for counterterrorism, curb human trafficking, and ensure smooth arrangements for pilgrims traveling to Najaf, Karbala, and other major sites.
Al‑Shammari said he would visit Pakistan soon to finalise a joint roadmap for improved facilitation and security coordination.
Tens of thousands of Pakistani pilgrims travel each year to Iraq and Iran to visit some of the most revered sites in Shia Islam, including Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, as well as major religious centers in Mashhad and Qom in Iran.
Pilgrimage activity reaches its height during occasions such as Arbaeen, when millions of worshippers gather in Karbala from across the region.
