Students, pilgrims and traders cross the borders of Taftan and Gwadar as instability deepens after US and Israeli attacks
QUETA:
Pakistani students, pilgrims, tourists and traders return from Iran through the Taftan and Gwadar border crossings in Balochistan as tensions in Iran escalate following attacks by the United States and Israel.
The repatriation process has been initiated to ensure the safety of Pakistani citizens amid the escalating conflict in the Islamic Republic.
According to the deputy commissioner of Chagai, 19 students crossed the Taftan border overnight from the Iranian city of Zahedan, 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, measures are being taken to transport them to their home provinces.
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Gwadar Deputy Commissioner Naqeebullah Kakar said The express PAkGazette that 51 Pakistani nationals have returned across the Gabd-Ramdan border near Gwadar, including five students along with pilgrims, tourists and traders who had been stranded due to the deteriorating situation in Iran.
Balochistan Federal Investigation Agency Director Muhammad Behram Khan said immigration facilities are functioning round the clock to ensure uninterrupted return of Pakistanis.
All arriving citizens will be provided with food, accommodation and 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.
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Pakistani authorities have started the process of repatriating 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 growing regional instability.
In addition to the re-entry of Pakistani nationals, air operations from Pakistan to the Middle East remain severely disrupted, with more than 500 domestic and international flights canceled in the last three days. This has left thousands of passengers stranded.
These developments come in the wake of joint US-Israeli attacks in Iran, which have so far claimed 201 lives and injured more than 700 people. The situation deteriorated when Iranian state media confirmed the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The 86-year-old was reportedly attacked while working at his central leadership complex.
Since the assassination, Iran has attacked multiple US bases in surrounding Gulf states, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq.
