ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani foreign office activated a crisis management cell on Wednesday evening after at least 35 Pakistani religious tourists were killed in a bus accident near the Iranian city of Yazd.
Pakistan’s state-run Radio Pakistan said the accident happened when the bus carrying Pakistani nationals overturned after a technical defect in the braking system, killing at least 35 and injuring 15.
Millions of Shiite Muslims are currently partaking in the Arbaeen pilgrimage in Iraq’s Karbala Governorate. The event marks the 40th mourning following the martyrdom of Imam Hussein bin Ali, a central figure in Shiite Islam and the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. The bus carrying Pakistani pilgrims was also passing through Iran en route to Iraq.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has activated its Crisis Management Unit in view of the unfortunate road accident involving the deaths of Pakistani Zaireen [pilgrims] at Yazd in Iran,” Radio Pakistan reported.
The contact details of the CMU are as: telephone: 051-9207887 and email: cmu1mofa.gov.pk .
The Foreign Affairs Liaison Office in Karachi can also be contacted on 0300-9310095, 0332-7556633 and 0313-8957541, the foreign office said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meanwhile directed Pakistan’s mission in Tehran to extend all possible assistance to the affected families while President Asif Ali Zardari instructed the ministry of foreign affairs to arrange the repatriation of bodies and ensure timely assistance for the injured.
Iranian media said over 25,000 Pakistanis had entered Iran for an onward journey to Karbala.
Every year, thousands of Pakistanis travel to Iran, Iraq and Syria to visit shrines and religious sites there.
