ISLAMABAD: Former Member National Assembly (MNA) and PML-N Chitral leader Shahzada Iftikharuddin has appealed to the government to facilitate transit travel for Pakistani nationals currently stranded in Iraq due to the ongoing airspace restrictions.

In a letter addressed to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Mr. Iftikhar urged immediate diplomatic coordination with the government of Türkiye to help the Pakistanis fly back home.

He highlighted the growing concern among Pakistani expatriates working across the Kurdistan region of Iraq, who are unable to return home as commercial flights remain suspended following the closure of Iraqi airspace.

The suspension, recently extended until at least 30 June 2025, has left many families in distress, particularly during the ongoing holiday season.

“Many of my constituents from Chitral, along with thousands of other Pakistanis working with international organisations, UN agencies, NGOs and private companies across Iraq, are facing extreme difficulty in returning home,” he said.

“The only practical route now available is to cross into Türkiye by land and fly from Istanbul. A temporary and humanitarian transit arrangement is urgently needed.”

The former MNA appealed to the government for an exceptional on-arrival transit visa facility to be granted by Turkish authorities for Pakistanis who hold valid Iraqi residencies or work permits, proof of employment and confirmed flight bookings to Pakistan.

He also called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to liaise with both the Pakistani embassy in Baghdad and the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate the process through relevant diplomatic channels.

He underscored the need to explore a similar arrangement with the government of Kuwait for Pakistani nationals residing in central and southern Iraq, and drew attention to the situation of Pakistani pilgrims visiting the holy shrines in Baghdad, Najaf and Karbala who may also require urgent travel support.

“Given that the foreign minister is currently in Türkiye, this is an opportune moment to secure the necessary coordination that could ease the hardship faced by hundreds of overseas Pakistanis,” he noted.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2025