[Islamabad] Pakistan has evacuated over 450 pilgrims from Iran and is preparing to repatriate more than 150 students as fighting between Israel and Iran intensifies, Pakistani officials said on Sunday. The operation follows Israel’s wide-scale airstrikes Friday night targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites, which prompted a swift Iranian response and raised fears of a broader regional war.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said in a post on the social media platform X that the evacuations were part of an urgent effort to protect Pakistani nationals trapped by the conflict. “Evacuation of 450 Pakistani pilgrims from Iran has been facilitated as of yesterday,” Dar wrote. “Arrangements are being made for the safe evacuation of Pakistani students—154 in the first batch—currently residing in Iran.”
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry has activated a 24-hour crisis management unit to coordinate rescue operations. Embassies in Tehran and Baghdad are in contact with citizens in affected areas, and additional contingency plans are in place if further evacuations become necessary.
In Iraq, where many Pakistani pilgrims travel to visit Shia shrines in Najaf and Karbala, flight disruptions and closed airspace have left some stranded. “Our embassy in Iraq is in touch with Pakistani pilgrims,” Dar said. “Measures are underway to ensure their safe stay in Iraq and possible evacuation if necessary.”
This holiday season, give to:
Truth and understanding
The Media Line's intrepid correspondents are in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Pakistan providing first-person reporting.
They all said they cover it.
We see it.
We report with just one agenda: the truth.
As regional tensions grew over the weekend, Pakistan issued a travel advisory urging its citizens to avoid visiting Iran or Iraq until stability is restored. “Pakistani citizens are strongly advised to postpone travel to Iran for a limited period,” the statement read.
Islamabad has condemned the Israeli strikes as a violation of international law and Iranian sovereignty. “The attacks clearly contravene international law and risk plunging the region into a new cycle of violence,” the Foreign Ministry said in a separate statement. “We urge restraint and call upon all sides to resolve differences through peaceful means.”
Israel’s offensive late Friday marked a major escalation in long-simmering hostilities with Iran. Israeli jets reportedly struck several high-value targets, including Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps sites and nuclear infrastructure, according to regional and international media. Tehran retaliated by launching drones and missiles into Israeli territory, many of which were intercepted by Israel’s air defenses. Civilian casualties have been reported on both sides.
The growing conflict between the two regional rivals threatens to draw in other countries, including the United States, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Gulf Arab states. Pakistan, which maintains strong religious and economic ties with both Iran and Iraq, is especially concerned about the safety of its citizens who travel regularly for religious pilgrimages.
Pakistan’s annual religious travel to Iran and Iraq peaks during the months of Muharram and Safar, particularly during Arbaeen, when tens of thousands of Pakistani Shia Muslims visit sites in Karbala and Najaf. The sudden outbreak of war has disrupted these movements and raised humanitarian concerns.
Dar emphasized that the government remains focused on ensuring the welfare of its nationals overseas. “We are committed to the welfare of all Pakistanis, especially in times of crisis,” he said.