Pakistan and Iran have agreed to keep their border open 24 hours a day during the Islamic months of Muharram and Safar to facilitate religious pilgrims.
State-run APP said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni agreed to the development during a meeting in Tehran, where both sides made several key decisions to improve pilgrim facilitation and strengthen border cooperation.
Iranian Deputy Interior Minister Ali Akbar Pourjamshidian, Deputy Minister Nader Yar Ahmadi, Adviser Hadian, Governor General of Sistan and Baluchestan Mansour Bager, and Colonel Javaheri, head of International Affairs at the Ministry of Interior also attended the meeting from Iran. The FIA director general and senior officers represented Pakistan.
Under the agreement, Tehran would provide accommodation and meals in Mashhad to 5,000 Pakistani pilgrims. The neighboring states will also establish a direct hotline to resolve issues in a timely manner.
To ensure better coordination, a trilateral meeting involving Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq will be held in Mashhad ahead of Arbaeen to plan arrangements for pilgrims. Both countries also agreed to increase the number of flights for pilgrims and explore the possibility of transportation by sea.
During the meeting, Momeni and Naqvi discussed strengthening Pak-Iran ties and mutual cooperation in various fields, including curbing illegal immigration, human trafficking, and drug control. Both sides agreed to enhance coordination for better border security management.
Naqvi thanked the Iranian government for its continued support to Pakistani pilgrims and assured full cooperation regarding the release of Iranian fishermen who unintentionally entered Pakistani waters. The Iranian minister emphasized that Iran and Pakistan enjoy excellent relations and that Pakistan’s security is of utmost importance to Iran. He said serving pilgrims is a religious duty.
The meeting followed an official visit to Tehran by a delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.