MWM ends Arbaeen protest march after govt vows to facilitate pilgrims

KARACHI: The Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) announced late on Thursday night it was ending its Arbaeen protest march to the Iran border over the land route ban after Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry vowed to help out pilgrims who had already obtained Iraqi visas.

Addressing a press conference after late-night talks facilitated by Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, the minister said the government and the MWM leadership had agreed on a seven-point understanding. He thanked the MWM leadership for deciding to end its protest march, saying that the Taftan border had not been closed nor would be shut in future for pilgrims.

However, he asked the MWM leaders to advise the intending pilgrims not to visit holy sites in Iraq via the land route this year, emphasising that the ban on the land travel had been imposed this year due to security reasons.

State Minister Talal Chaudhry said that special flights would be arranged in two to three days for pilgrims who had obtained Iraqi visas, and concessionary air tickets would be provided to them as well.

It had also been decided that the Iraqi government would be approached with a request to extend these visas for 60 days.

He also announced that students already at the border would be allowed to enter Iran, and tour operators would be directed to return the money they had taken from intending pilgrims.

The state minister said it was a difficult decision for the government to ban the land travel to holy sites, but it was taken due to security reasons.

Also speaking at the press conference, MWM Vice Chairman Allama Ahmed Iqbal Rizvi announced the end of the Arbaeen protest march, saying that they would monitor progress on the understanding reached with the government.