Pakistan Bans Solo Pilgrimage to Iraq from 2026

Pakistan will ban individual pilgrimages to Iraq from next year to curb human smuggling and illegal stays, officials announced Monday.

“From next year, no Pakistani citizen will be allowed to travel alone to Iraq for pilgrimage,” said Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, while addresing trilateral ministerial meeting held in Tehran on Monday.

According to Radio Pakistan, Naqvi said only group travel under registered Zaireen Organisers will be allowed to go Iraq.

Naqvi hope that the new restrictions would significantly reduce incidents of overstaying and discourage exploitation by traffickers.

50,000 Overstayed in Iraq Last Year

Pakistani authorities estimates around 50,000 pilgrims overstayed in Iraq last year after entering the country on temporary religious visas. 

Human traffickers reportedly charge each traveller between PKR 500,000 and 600,000, promising them work opportunities. Many overstayer work illegally under harsh conditions.

According to Pakistan’s embassy in Baghdad, many Pakistani religious pilgrims handed over one of two passports to smugglers on arrival and satyed in the country.

Iraqi authorities have raised concerns over rising numbers of undocumented Pakistanis involved in criminal activities, including theft, drug trafficking, and unregistered labour.

Trilateral Framework Established

To prevent further abuse, Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan agreed to establish a permanent trilateral working group to coordinate visa controls, air and land travel, and real-time monitoring of group movements.

Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni described the new framework as a “joint effort to protect the sanctity of religious travel.”

Iraq’s Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari said his government welcomed the ban on solo travellers and pledged to support stricter enforcement ahead of Arbaeen, the annual Shiite pilgrimage that draws over 20 million people.

“We are ready to cooperate with Pakistan and Iran to ensure pilgrims are safe and accounted for,” al-Shammari said in Tehran.

Crackdown in Pakistan and Iraq

Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has launched a probe into smuggling networks based in Punjab and Balochistan.

Meanwhile, Iraqi officials have imposed stricter entry rules, including passport retention at borders and tighter group supervision.

Officials from all three countries said religious pilgrimage must not be used as a cover for irregular migration.

“We fully support legal pilgrimages, but we must stop criminal elements who misuse religious routes for human trafficking,” Naqvi said.