By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has planned to evacuate families of its diplomats and non-essential staff from Iran amid rising tensions sparked by the ongoing war between Iran and Israel, a senior Foreign Office official said on Tuesday.
The move is a precautionary step, though Pakistan’s diplomatic operations in Iran remain unaffected, the official said. “The families are being relocated as a precautionary measure, while certain members of non-essential diplomatic personnel are also being recalled,” the official stated. “The Pakistani Embassy in Tehran and its consulates in the country will continue to operate normally,” he added, emphasising that the missions remain fully functional to serve Pakistani nationals.
The evacuation follows a dramatic escalation in the Middle East, where Israel launched an air offensive against Iran, claiming that Tehran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. The surprise assault has decimated much of Iran’s military leadership, killing nearly the entire top echelon of its armed forces along with leading nuclear scientists. More than 220 people have died in Iran as a result of the attacks, according to official counts.
Iran has struck back with force, unleashing barrages of drones and missiles that have killed more than 20 people in Israel. An Israeli military official reported that Iran has fired 400 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones toward Israeli targets.
As the war disrupts the region, Pakistan is moving swiftly to bring its citizens home from Iran. Nearly 714 Pakistanis, including citizens, traders, and drivers, crossed into the country via the Taftan border on Monday, immigration officials reported.
On the day of the offensive, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed all relevant authorities to provide every possible assistance for the safe return and protection of Pakistani pilgrims in Iran. Following his orders, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs established a Crisis Management Cell to oversee the situation and coordinate logistics.
Among them were students fleeing the conflict zone. Three buses carrying 154 Pakistani students arrived at Taftan from Tehran, bringing the day’s total student arrivals to 214. “The students would be moved to Pakistan House after completing immigration,” officials said.
Special measures are in place to secure the border amid the unrest. “Special security arrangements had been put in place due to the Iran-Israel conflict,” officials noted.
Meanwhile, the Balochistan government has shuttered border crossings in Panjgur, Gwadar, and Kech for an unspecified period, citing regional instability and security risks tied to the Middle East escalation.
The Ministry of Interior has urged Pakistanis to avoid travel to Iran as hostilities persist, with airspace between Iran and Israel closed indefinitely. Yet the Taftan crossing in Chagai district remains a lifeline, operating normally for trade and travel. “Authorities there confirmed that cross-border trade and the movement of passengers are continuing as normal,” officials said.
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