By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: Two prominent Shia organisations, the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) and the Shia Ulema Council, have called off a planned protest march from Karachi to the Pakistan-Iran border following successful negotiations with the government over their pilgrimage to Iraq for the Arbaeen commemoration.
The breakthrough came after a high-level meeting in Karachi, where a seven-point agreement was reached. The talks, facilitated by Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, included Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and MWM leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri.
The agreement addresses concerns raised by the Shia groups regarding travel restrictions for the Arbaeen pilgrimage, a significant religious event for Shia Muslims. Under the terms of the agreement, the government has committed to facilitating visa extensions of up to 60 days for pilgrims in coordination with Iraqi authorities, arranging discounted flights for those still intending to travel, and ensuring refunds for payments made to tour operators, bus services, and transport companies by pilgrims who had booked overland travel.
While advising against land travel this year due to security concerns, Minister Chaudhry emphasised that the Taftan-Rimdan border would remain open.
Speaking at a joint press conference after late-night discussions, Chaudhry said the Taftan border had not been closed nor would be shut in future for pilgrims. He also announced that “visa extensions of up to 60 days would be facilitated in coordination with Iraqi authorities” and that “discounted flights would be arranged for those still intending to travel.”
MWM Vice Chairman Allama Ahmed Iqbal Rizvi expressed gratitude to the state minister and governor for “playing a positive role and realising the difficulties the land travel ban was causing to the pilgrims.”
He confirmed the cancellation of the Arbaeen protest march, stating, “they would monitor progress on the understanding reached with the government.” The MWM has demanded that the government provide concessionary air tickets to pilgrims who had already obtained visas for the pilgrimage.
The agreement follows an earlier announcement by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who had barred Pakistani pilgrims from traveling to Iran or Iraq by road for this year’s Arbaeen pilgrimage due to security concerns.
Each year, around 700,000 Pakistani pilgrims journey to Iraq for Arbaeen, which marks the 40th day of mourning following the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain at the Battle of Karbala, a pivotal event in Shia Islam. The MWM and Shia Ulema Council had planned the protest to challenge the land travel ban, which had disrupted arrangements for thousands of pilgrims intending to reach Iraq via Iran.
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