The Government of Pakistan has suspended road travel for pilgrims intending to visit Iraq and Iran for Arbaeen this year. The announcement came directly from Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who cited regional instability and internal security assessments as the basis for the decision.

Speaking via his official X platform, Naqvi said, “After comprehensive dialogue with our diplomatic and provincial partners, and thorough input from intelligence agencies, we’ve decided to suspend road-based pilgrimage routes for Zaireen to Iraq and Iran for Arbaeen 2025. Safety remains our top priority.”

Pilgrims can, however, travel by air. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed civil aviation authorities to expand flight availability to meet the high demand expected during the religious observance period.

This restriction coincides with broader reforms in the pilgrimage framework. On July 10, the Ministry of Religious Affairs implemented long-awaited upgrades to its regulatory infrastructure. A key component was the abolition of the traditional Salar (group leader) system, replaced with the Ziyarat Group Organizer (ZGO) model. This change mirrors systems used for other religious pilgrimages such as Hajj and Umrah.

Under the new system, all pilgrim groups must be registered with the Ministry. So far, 585 travel operators have complied with documentation requirements. Authorities have set August 10, 2025, as the deadline for any remaining companies to finalize their registrations.

The Ministry also reaffirmed that unregistered travel for religious purposes will not be tolerated under the new rules, as part of efforts to enhance coordination, security, and transparency for all outbound pilgrims.

This directive marks a critical turn in Pakistan’s religious travel protocols and is expected to reshape the pilgrimage experience in years to come.