Pakistan bans road travel for Iran, Iraq pilgrims for Arbaeen

The Pakistan government has banned road travel for pilgrims willing to travel to Iran and Iraq for Arbaeen, announced Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. 

After extensive consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Balochistan Government, and security agencies, it has been decided that Zaireen will not be allowed to travel to Iraq and Iran by road for Arbaeen this year. This difficult decision was taken in the interest of…

— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) July 27, 2025

“After extensive consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Balochistan Government, and security agencies, it has been decided that Zaireen will not be allowed to travel to Iraq and Iran by road for Arbaeen this year. This difficult decision was taken in the interest of public safety and national security,” Mohsin Naqvi stated on his X account.

Zaireen will, however, be able to travel by air. Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to arrange maximum flights to facilitate their pilgrimage in the coming days, he added.

Read more: Pakistan, Iran, Iraq announce new regulations for pilgrims

It is worth mentioning that on July 10, 2025, the Ministry of Religious Affairs announced the acceleration of a policy introduced in 2021.

The Salar (group leader) system has been abolished and replaced with a Ziyarat Group Organizer (ZGO) system.

Registration has been made mandatory for pilgrimage, similar to the Hajj and Umrah process.

A spokesperson for the Religious Affairs Ministry stated that 585 companies have already submitted complete documentation. New companies have been given a registration deadline of August 10, 2025.