Islamabad, Jan 2, IRNA — Religious tourism between Iran and Pakistan haswitnessed unprecedented surge as during the months of Muharram and Safarthis Islamic year over 75,000 Pakistani pilgrims visited religious placesin Iran, a local media report said.
The report published in ‘Pakistan Today’ said that facilities and securityarrangements were also improved at Pakistan House on Taftan Border.
“According to documents submitted to the Interior Ministry, State Ministerfor Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi, on special directions of Prime MinisterImran Khan, ensured the provision of foolproof security to the pilgrimswhile modern and state-of-the-art facilities have also been installed atPakistan House,” it said.
It said besides security concerns, pilgrims used to face a lot of troublespertaining to immigration and amenities during their transit and stay atTaftan Border. In order to address the administrative issues of thepilgrims, Afridi, along with Taftan Rifles commandant, conductedback-to-back visits to Taftan on September 8 and October 24 in 2018.
During these visits, the interior minister formed the Taftan Task Forcethat was responsible to undertake certain development projects. “Theminister had assigned the taskforce with the upgradation of facilities forpilgrims visiting Iran and Iraq in a four months’ time,” said the report.
The task force had also been assigned to install 20 new immigrationcounters at FIA’s newly constructed building for better facilitation of thetravelers; construction of dual sheltered lanes (exit and entry), includingits fencing from new FIA building to the international border, pavement ofthe parking area around the new FIA office by the National HighwayAuthority (NHA), installation of a large size national flag in front of thePakistan gate, improvement of facilities at Pakistan House i.e. canteen,cleanliness and provision of water; and taking action against thecontractor who used low quality material on the outer stars of the new FIAbuilding.
According to the report in the past, the pilgrims had become victims ofterrorist activities that resulted in a prominent decline in number ofpeople travelling to Iran for religious tourism. “The issue of pilgrims’security was promptly taken up by the federal and provincial governments aswell as the army/FC simultaneously,” it said.
The newly constructed FIA Building has been made operational with effectfrom November 5. Entry and exit lanes for visitors have been fenced toavoid jumbling of pilgrims. Construction of dual sheltered lanes (exit andentry) from the new FIA building to the international border has beencompleted and a large size Pakistani flag has also been installed in frontof the Pakistan gate by FC.
The report added during recent months, federal and provincial governments,along with Balochistan FC (South), have also endeavoured to facilitate thepilgrims’ movement from Pakistan to Iran and back.