Arbaeen March postponed: MWM reach seven-point agreement with government

KARACHI: Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) and Shia Ulema Council have announced the postponement of the Arbaeen March following successful negotiations with the federal government over restrictions on Pakistani pilgrims traveling by road.

According to details, the talks between Shia religious leadership and the government resulted in a seven-point agreement.

In light of this, the Shia Ulema Council has suspended its earlier call for a nationwide protest.

The Ja’fariyah Negotiation Committee held a meeting with Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori and Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, where they discussed in detail the issues faced by pilgrims stranded in border areas.

The negotiation team included Secretary General of the Shia Ulema Council, Allama Dr. Shabbir Hassan Maisami, and Maulana Azhar Taqi, while MWM was represented by Chairman Allama Ahmed Iqbal Rizvi and Agha Baqar Zaidi.

The committee was assured that the government would provide airfare subsidies for pilgrims who were initially planning to travel via land routes.

Read more: Pakistan bans road travel for Iran, Iraq pilgrims for Arbaeen

Additionally, arrangements would be made to facilitate and clear stranded pilgrims at the borders.

The government also committed to refunding annual bus payments collected from pilgrims.

It is worth noting that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had recently announced that this year, Pakistani pilgrims would not be allowed to travel by land through Balochistan to Iran or Iraq for Arbaeen. Following this, MWM had called for countrywide protests against the travel ban.