According to Islamabad’s minister for religious affairs, nearly 50,000 Pakistani pilgrims have gone missing in Iraq. Chaudhry Salik Hussain shared this startling statistic at a Pakistani Senate committee meeting without providing further details about the disappearances.
Each year, millions of foreign pilgrims visit Iraq for religious festivals like Arbaeen and Ashura, with the Arbaeen pilgrimage being one of the largest gatherings globally, drawing up to 22 million attendees. Some of these pilgrims are members of Pakistan’s Shia minority.
In response to the reports of the missing pilgrims, Ahmed al-Asadi, Iraq’s labour and social affairs minister, stated that the government would investigate the issue, suggesting that the missing Pakistanis may have been working illegally in Iraq.
The Senate committee discussed challenges faced by pilgrims, including long waits at the Taftan border with Iran, lack of facilities, and high costs. Additionally, a recent Memorandum of Understanding signed between Pakistan and Iraq aims to streamline the process of acquiring work visas for Pakistanis in Iraq, with the goal of reducing illegal immigration.