Most people were carrying bulky luggage as they crossed the border on foot, while cargo trucks formed a long line.
Pakistanis cross the Taftan border upon their return from Iran, Balochistan province, March 3, 2026, amid ongoing US-Israeli strikes against Iran. PHOTO: AFP
Pakistanis carried suitcases across the border into Iran, describing missile strikes and chaos in their journey as they rushed to leave the country hit by US and Israeli strikes over the weekend.
AFP Journalists saw a steady stream of people passing through large metal gates at the remote border crossing between Mirjaveh in Iran and Taftan in Balochistan.
Powerful explosions have rocked the Iranian capital, Tehran, since Saturday, with embassies of countries around the world asking their citizens to leave.
“All our Pakistani brothers who were in Tehran and other cities had started leaving and were arriving at the terminal, which caused a lot of pressure from the crowd,” said Ameer Muhammad, a 38-year-old trader. AFP Monday.
“Due to the crowds, there were big transportation problems.”
Learn more: Pakistan pursues de-escalation between US and Iran through active diplomacy, Dar told Senate
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told a news conference on Tuesday that Pakistan has three consulates working in Iran to offer support to the country’s 35,000 citizens.
Nearly 800 people have returned to Pakistan in recent days, he told reporters in Islamabad.
“Many missiles”
The remote Taftan border is about 500 kilometers from Quetta.
AFP journalists saw the Iranian flag flying at half-mast while soldiers stood guard.
Most people were carrying bulky luggage as they crossed the border on foot, while cargo trucks formed a long line.
Pakistanis cross the Taftan border upon their return from Iran, Balochistan province, March 3, 2026, amid ongoing US-Israeli strikes against Iran. PHOTO: AFP
Irshad Ahmed, a 49-year-old traveler, said he was staying in a hostel in Tehran when he saw missiles being fired nearby.
“There was a military base near the hostel and we saw many missiles being fired,” he said.
“After that, we went to the Pakistani embassy so they could evacuate us from there. They brought us here safely.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s assistance in a US-Israeli operation was a “violation” of international law.
“It is an old convention that heads of state/government should not be targeted,” he wrote on X.
The Government and people of Pakistan join the people of Iran in their hour of grief and sadness and extend their deepest condolences on the martyrdom of His Eminence Ayatollah Seyyed Ali.
Khamenei.Pakistan also expresses concern over the violation of norms of…
– Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) March 1, 2026
“The people of Pakistan join the people of Iran in their hour of grief and sorrow and offer their deepest condolences for the martyrdom” of Khamenei, he added.
A teacher at the Pakistan Embassy in Tehran, who goes by the name Saqib, said AFP: “Before we left, the situation was normal. The situation was not so bad.”
The 38-year-old said the strikes on Tehran on Saturday “forced us to leave the city.”
“The situation worsened on Saturday evening, when attacks caused precious loss of life,” he said.
