Pakistan and Iran have agreed to strengthen border cooperation and considerably improve the installations of religious pilgrims before the Islamic months of Muharram and Arbaeen, according to application.
The decisions were made at a meeting between the Minister of the Interior Mohin Naqvi and the Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni in Tehran on Wednesday. High civil servants of the two countries were also present.
As part of the new understanding, the Pakistani-Iranian border will remain open 24 hours a day during Muharram and Arbaeen to ensure a fluid movement for pilgrims.
The Iranian government will provide accommodation and meals in Mashhad up to 5,000 Pakistani pilgrims. A hotline will also be established between the two countries to quickly solve cross -border problems.
In a key development, the ministers agreed to convene a trilateral meeting involving Pakistan, Iran and Iraq in Mashhad before Arbaeen. Reunion aims to improve logistics and administrative arrangements for pilgrims who make the religious journey.
The two parties also discussed the increase in the number of flights for pilgrims and explored the possibility of traveling at sea to facilitate transit.
Cooperation on the reduction of illegal immigration, trafficking in human beings and drug addict has also been addressed. The two ministers reaffirmed the importance of stronger coordination between border forces to improve regional security.
Naqvi expressed its gratitude to Iran for its continuous support for Pakistani pilgrims and ensured cooperation concerning the release of Iranian fishermen who have inadvertently gathered in Pakistani waters.
