ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Senate chairman has called on Iraq’s government to streamline arrangements and ease the process for Pakistani pilgrims traveling to the Middle Eastern country for the annual Arbaeen religious event, state broadcaster reported on Wednesday.
Iraq is home to some of the holiest Shia Muslim sites, including the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf and the Imam Hussain Shrine in Karbala. The annual Arbaeen pilgrimage, marking the martyrdom of Hussain in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE, attracts millions of Shia Muslim devotees from around the world.
Arbaeen signifies the end of a 40-day mourning period for Hussain, observed by Shia Muslims worldwide, with pilgrims from Pakistan and other parts of the world traveling to Iraq to honor his sacrifice.
Former prime minister and Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani met Iraq’s Ambassador to Pakistan Hamid Abbas Lafta in Islamabad to discuss the religious event and bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
“He (Gilani) said 250,000 Pakistani pilgrims visit Iraq every year to pay respect at holy sites,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
“He said there is an urgent need to further streamline the arrangements for Pakistani pilgrims.”
The report added that Gilani stressed the need for enhanced cooperation between Pakistan and Iraq in key sectors including agriculture, trade, water, energy, education, tourism, and defense.
It said Gilani also called for direct flights between both countries to strengthen people-to-people contacts, highlighting that the two sides agreed to promote “parliamentary diplomacy and delegation exchanges.”
Last year Pakistan and Iraq agreed on several measures to facilitate Pakistani pilgrims traveling for Arbaeen. These included easing travel restrictions, operating special flights and launching a crackdown on travel agents charging excessive fees.
Senate chairman calls for streamlining arrangements for 250,000 Pakistani pilgrims to Iraq
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Senate chairman calls for streamlining arrangements for 250,000 Pakistani pilgrims to Iraq
- Iraqi Ambassador Hamid Abbas Lufta calls on Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani in Islamabad
- Around 250,000 pilgrims visit Iraq every year to pay respects at holy sites during Arbaeen
UN agencies report spike in Afghan arrests as nearly two million return from Pakistan
- UNHCR and IOM data show weekly spike in detentions, with Balochistan emerging as main hotspot
- International rights groups say the deportation drive risks violating international protection obligations
ISLAMABAD: United Nations agencies for refugees and migration recorded a sharp rise in the arrest and detention of Afghan nationals in Pakistan since the beginning of the year, highlighting in a report this week that about two million Afghans have been repatriated to their country since late 2023.
According to a joint report released by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the scale of the movement has gone up significantly.
“During the reporting period (4 – 10 January), a total of 1,726 Afghan nationals were arrested and detained, marking an 18 percent increase compared to the previous week,” the report said. “Cumulatively, from 15 September 2023 to 10 January 2026, 1,957,694 individuals have returned.”
The mass migration and deportation drive began on November 1, 2023, after Pakistani authorities announced a repatriation plan for “illegal immigrants,” mostly Afghans. The decision followed a spike in suicide bombings, which the Pakistani government said were carried out by Afghan nationals or by militants launching cross-border attacks from neighboring Afghanistan.
Islamabad has also blamed illegal Afghan immigrants and refugees for involvement in smuggling and other crimes, though Afghanistan denies the allegations.
In 2025, Pakistan expanded the scope of its deportation drive, moving beyond undocumented foreign nationals to include holders of Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC). The campaign was later extended to bearers of Proof of Registration (PoR) cards after their validity expired in June.
While PoR cards were meant to recognize Afghan refugees under a formal registration framework, ACCs were merely introduced to document Afghan nationality without conferring refugee status on those in possession of them.
“Out of all arrests and detentions during the reporting period ... ACC holders and undocumented Afghans represented 87 percent of the total rate of arrest and detentions, and PoR holders represented 13 percent,” the report said.
In addition to the arrests, the reporting period saw a marked increase in activity at the border. Between January 4 and January 10, 2026, alone, an estimated 19,666 Afghans returned through various crossing points including Torkham and Chaman, representing a 38 percent increase in returns and a 17 percent increase in deportations compared to the week prior.
The UN report noted that “fear of arrest remained the main reason for return among undocumented individuals and ACC holders (95 percent)” while PoR card holders cited “strict border entry requirements” as their primary driver for leaving.
Geographically, 73 percent of recent arrests occurred in Balochistan, with the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) also being a focal point with 16 percent of the total arrests following government directives for Afghans to relocate from the capital.
Earlier in January, Amnesty International renewed pressure on Islamabad, urging it to stop deportations.
“Amnesty International calls on the Pakistani authorities to halt the deportation of Afghan refugees and ensure that individuals with international protection needs are safeguarded as per international human rights law,” it said in an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Amnesty maintained Pakistan’s repatriation policy violated the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning refugees to countries where they could face persecution or serious harm, and described the campaign as potentially “one of the largest forcible returns of refugees in modern history.”
