TEHRAN, Iran: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni, during a meeting in Tehran on Wednesday, agreed to keep the Pakistan-Iran border open 24 hours a day throughout Muharram and Arbaeen to facilitate religious pilgrims, alongside taking key steps to improve border coordination and ensure a smooth pilgrimage experience.
The two sides agreed that the Pakistan-Iran border will remain open 24 hours a day during the Islamic calendar month of Muharram and Arbaeen to facilitate religious pilgrims.
During the meeting, both sides made several key decisions to improve coordination and ensure a smooth journey for Pakistani pilgrims travelling to Iran and onward to Iraq.
Among these steps, a 24/7 border opening was announced, along with plans to establish a dedicated hotline for immediate issue resolution during the pilgrimage period.
To further strengthen cooperation, the ministers agreed to hold a trilateral conference involving Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq before Arbaeen.
The conference, to be hosted in Mashhad, will focus on logistics, security, and administrative matters concerning Pakistani pilgrims.
The two sides also decided to increase flight operations and explore sea routes to ease pilgrim transportation.
In a gesture of hospitality, Iran’s interior minister announced that his country would offer accommodation and meals to 5,000 Pakistani pilgrims in Mashhad.
He also confirmed that special arrangements would be made for smooth travel from Iran to Iraq, ensuring pilgrims’ safety and comfort throughout the journey.
Besides pilgrimage-related issues, the two ministers discussed broader topics such as border security, anti-smuggling efforts, drug control, and combating illegal immigration and human trafficking.
Both countries committed to enhancing border coordination and strengthening bilateral ties in multiple areas of mutual interest.
Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to regional peace, security, and religious cooperation.
