Safe passage: People enter Pakistan via Taftan border crossing, amid ongoing US-Israeli strikes against Iran. Photo: AFP
QUETTA:
Nearly 2,000 people entered Pakistan through the Pakistan-Iran border crossing at Taftan, including families of some diplomats, following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti said on Friday.
He told reporters that the provincial government had placed all relevant departments on alert in view of the evolving situation in the neighboring country, with authorities closely monitoring developments along the Iranian border.
“So far, 1,979 people have entered Pakistan through Taftan border post,” the chief minister said. “Among them are the families of 37 diplomats, who benefit from a welcome and the necessary support upon their arrival.”
According to Bugti, the provincial government maintains close coordination with federal authorities while continually reviewing the security and humanitarian situation. He said officials had been instructed to remain fully prepared to respond to any emerging situations.
“The arrival of Pakistani citizens and foreign nationals through Taftan continues and essential facilities are being provided to them,” Bugti said. He added that authorities in border districts have also been instructed to make necessary arrangements to handle arrivals at the border post.
Bugti said immigration officials, security agencies and local administration were working together to ensure the process remained organized and smooth. He reiterated that the provincial government maintained close coordination with federal authorities.
Logistics
Pakistanis fleeing Iran described explosions and missile strikes across Tehran that shook the ground beneath their feet and engulfed buildings in fire and smoke in a city emptied of many of its residents.
“I was in a classroom when a powerful explosion shook our university building,” Hareem Zahra, 23, a student at Tehran Engineering University, told Reuters after crossing the land border between Pakistan and Iran. “We saw heavy smoke coming from many burning buildings,” she said, adding that Tehran was under attack until the time of her departure.
Nearly 1,000 students, businessmen and pilgrims have fled Iran since the start of the war out of a total of 35,000 Pakistanis in the country, said Mudassir Tipu, Pakistan’s ambassador to Tehran. “There are now serious challenges. As you know, there is no Internet in most parts of Iran,” he said.
Tehran has appeared deserted since the start of the conflict, said Nadir Abbas, 25, a student of Persian literature at a university in the Iranian capital. “I saw a drone hit a basketball court where six players lost their lives.” Reuters could not verify his story.
“The first attack took place right next to my hospital,” said Sakhi Aun Mohammad, a student at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. After reaching the border, an Iranian friend called him to check if he was safe and said, “Thank God you went to Pakistan, you are all safe, but your hostel was attacked.”
A Pakistani diplomat who is still in Tehran said attacks took place every four or five hours, adding that a missile hit a building next to his office. “Sometimes you’ll feel like something exploded right at your feet,” he said.
“The last time I went out was at night. Buildings had collapsed, others were on fire. There is destruction everywhere.” He added: “It’s almost like a ghost town.”
(With additional input from Reuters)
