QUETTA: Over 100 Shia pilgrims were airlifted to Quetta on Friday from the Dalbandin airport in a transport plane of the Pakistan Air Force. The pilgrims coming in buses from Iran were stranded in Dalbandin after the bombing of a pilgrims’ bus in Mastung which left 28 people dead.

The provincial government has suspended travel by bus of Shia pilgrims to Iran for the time being because of the security situation and decided to airlift the remaining pilgrims coming from Iran.

“A C-130 transport plane of the PAF was sent to Dalbandin airport to bring Shia pilgrims coming from Iran,” a senior official of the Balochistan government told Dawn, adding that in the first fight, the PAF brought 130 pilgrims, including women and children.

“Another PAF C-130 will go to Dalbandin on Saturday to airlift and bring the remaining pilgrims to Quetta,” he said.

The sources said that some 300 pilgrims who crossed into Pakistan from the Iranian immigration check post on Friday morning were brought to Dalbandin and Nokundi under heavy security.

“Heavy contingents of the FC and ATF personnel escorted all pilgrims’ buses and vehicles coming to Dalbandin and Nokundi from Iran,” Deputy Commissioner Saifullah Khateran said.

Heavy contingents of security forces have been deployed in and around the Dalbandin airport and no unconcerned person, is being allowed to go towards the area.

Official sources said that the all returning pilgrims coming by roads would be airlifted from Dalbandin airport. More convoys were expected to reach Taftan from Iran in the next two days.

“The process of airlifting of all the remaining pilgrims coming from Iran through the Taftan border will be completed soon,” the sources said. The pilgrims airlifted from Dalbandin on Friday belonged to Quetta and other parts of the country.

Meanwhile, the Balochistan government has stopped travelling of Shia pilgrims from Quetta to Iran by road.

Balochistan Chief Minister Dr. Malik Baloch has already suggested to the Federal government that PIA flights should be launched from Quetta to Mashhad for the pilgrims of Balochistan and a ferry service should also be started from Gwadar and Karachi for pilgrims belonging to Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa.

“We have sent this proposal to the Federal Government with an offer that the Balochistan government is ready to provide funds for launching the air service from Quetta to Mashhad,” Chief Secretary Babar Yaqoob said.