Pakistan tells pilgrimage organisers to halt travel via closed Iran–Iraq Al-Sheeb crossing

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has directed pilgrimage organisers not to send Pakistani pilgrims to Iraq through the Al-Sheeb border crossing while it remains closed, warning that no group should be dispatched towards the crossing until its reopening is officially confirmed.

The directive, issued to registered Ziarat Group Organisers (ZGOs) on Friday, states that no alternative land route may be used without formal authorisation from the Iraqi authorities. Al-Sheeb is the only authorised land crossing for Pakistani pilgrims travelling to Iraq through Iran, the ministry said in a press release.

Closed since October 21
Iraq shut the busy crossing last week to review security arrangements and install detection equipment aimed at stopping the smuggling of prohibited materials, an Iraqi border official said on October 21. Since then it has remained closed to passengers, vehicles and commercial trucks alike.

With the land route shut, pilgrims can currently enter Iraq through Baghdad and Najaf international airports, the ministry said. Pakistanis already in Iran have been advised to consider air travel, and organisers have been told to inform their registered pilgrims immediately and verify travel arrangements before anyone sets out — a step meant to prevent travellers being stranded or caught in logistical difficulties mid-journey.

The new directive sits alongside travel guidelines issued last week, under which organisers must verify connecting flights, prepare contingency plans for cancellations, keep sufficient funds in hand and arrange alternative accommodation for emergencies. Thousands of Pakistani pilgrims, known as Zaireen, travel between religious sites in Iran and Iraq every year, and the Al-Sheeb crossing has long been their main overland route into Iraq.