PM orders safe return of zaireen from Iran
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday instructed all concerned authorities to extend full support to ensure the safety and secure return of Pakistani pilgrims currently in Iran in the wake of Israel's deadly strikes.
In light of PM Shehbaz's directives, a Crisis Management Cell has been established at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to monitor the situation and coordinate efforts.
The Pakistani Embassy in Iran has also been instructed to remain vigilant and provide active assistance to the pilgrims.
The PM emphasised that immediate and effective measures must be taken to ensure the safety of all Pakistani nationals in Iran. He further instructed that all available resources be utilised to facilitate their safe and prompt return to Pakistan.
He directed that until the regional situation normalises, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Pakistani diplomatic mission in Iran will remain on high alert, ensuring continued support and communication with the pilgrims.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar shared the embassy's hotline number: (0098)-2166941388.
The Foreign Office (FO) also advised all Zaireen from Pakistan to reconsider their travel plans to Iran and Iraq in view of the evolving security situation in the region.
Following the PM's directives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs activated its Crisis Management Unit to ensure the safety and security of Pakistani nationals and pilgrims in Iran.
"In order to ensure safety & security of our nationals/Zaireens in Iran, we have activated a 24/7 Crisis Management Unit (CMU) at Ministry of Foreign Affairs," said Dar on X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
10 hours ago
- Business Recorder
PM Pakistan condemns unprovoked Israeli attack on Iran
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday strongly condemned what he described as an 'unprovoked' Israeli attack on Iran, warning that the incident could further destabilise an already volatile region. In a statement posted on X, Sharif said: 'I condemn, in the strongest possible terms, today's unprovoked attack on Iran by Israel. This grave and highly irresponsible act is deeply alarming and risks further de-stabilising an already volatile region.' He expressed sympathy for the Iranian people over reported casualties and called on the international community, including the United Nations, to act swiftly to prevent any further escalation that could threaten regional or global peace. In a separate move, the prime minister instructed authorities to ensure the safety and secure return of Pakistani pilgrims currently in Iran. A Crisis Management Cell has been established at Pakistan's Foreign Office, and the country's embassy in Iran has been placed on high alert. 'Steps must be taken to ensure the safety of the pilgrims,' Sharif said. 'All possible resources should be utilised to ensure their safe return.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
13 hours ago
- Business Recorder
PM condemns unprovoked Israeli attack on Iran
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday strongly condemned what he described as an 'unprovoked' Israeli attack on Iran, warning that the incident could further destabilise an already volatile region. In a statement posted on X, Sharif said: 'I condemn, in the strongest possible terms, today's unprovoked attack on Iran by Israel. This grave and highly irresponsible act is deeply alarming and risks further de-stabilising an already volatile region.' He expressed sympathy for the Iranian people over reported casualties and called on the international community, including the United Nations, to act swiftly to prevent any further escalation that could threaten regional or global peace. In a separate move, the prime minister instructed authorities to ensure the safety and secure return of Pakistani pilgrims currently in Iran. A Crisis Management Cell has been established at Pakistan's Foreign Office, and the country's embassy in Iran has been placed on high alert. 'Steps must be taken to ensure the safety of the pilgrims,' Sharif said. 'All possible resources should be utilised to ensure their safe return.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
14 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Debate opens in Senate amid fierce criticism
The budget debate in the Senate commenced with a blistering criticism from Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz, who blasted the government's economic policy, calling the budget "controversial by birth" and a reflection of incompetence and unprofessionalism. "This is the fourth budget of this installed regime, and it has broken all previous records of misgovernance," Faraz said, accusing the government of fabricating data and manipulating figures. "The numbers in this budget seem compromised ... it's a statistical deception. In the past, budget figures were never questioned, but this time doubts are widespread," he added. Faraz went on to say the current budget had "shattered the foundations" of Pakistan's already fragile economy. Referring to the controversial February 8 elections, he alleged that just as the government had manipulated numbers, it was playing the same game with the budget. He lamented that in Punjab, farmers were forced to dump wheat on the roads, calling it a failure of the state to protect agriculture. "They've destroyed the agriculture sector and stifled industry. How can growth happen when even Letters of Credit (LCs) aren't being opened?" he said. "There is no coherent policy for industrial development, only discouragement." "This is an IMF-dictated, anti-people budget. We've heard the 'South Asian Tiger' fantasy before. It's time to stop selling old fables," said Faraz, while lambasting the planning minister for "insultingly linking PTI with India". "PTI is not an anti-state party," he said. "How can a country progress when people can't even access the internet?" He denounced the government as a product of "Form-47 legitimacy", saying true representatives would never have presented such a budget. Shibli Faraz said that 61 million people fell below the poverty line post-2022 and that unemployment had surged by 14 million. He noted the lack of foreign direct investment and even remarked that "the Afghan currency is now stronger than the Pakistani rupee". He slammed the imposition of taxes on stationery and questioned the government's understanding of public priorities, citing the number of out-of-school children and deteriorating public services. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb briefed the Senate Finance Committee on the budget, pushing back against the opposition's accusations. He revealed that India's director at the IMF Board had tried to delay Pakistan's recent funding approval, but "despite Indian objections, $700 million was approved". Aurangzeb asserted that Pakistan had met World Bank benchmarks and that the IFC had approved additional financing. "We expect policy rates to enter single digits this fiscal year," he added, saying fiscal and structural reforms, particularly in SOEs and energy, were showing results. He acknowledged that privatisation targets had not been met this year but expressed optimism for the next fiscal. "We have tried to reduce the burden on the salaried class and cut transaction taxes in the construction sector," Aurangzeb said. "On agricultural tax, the IMF has agreed to our stance following the prime minister's directive."
