HYDERABAD: Hundreds of people marched from Qadam Gah Maula Ali to the local press club on Friday to protest the year-long closure of Pakistan’s land borders with Iran and Iraq, which has cut off an affordable pilgrimage route for thousands of intending visitors to religious sites in both countries.

The rally, organised by the Sindh Pilgrims Welfare Organisation, was led by Ghulam Qadir Karbalai, Saleem Jatoi and Ali Zafar Shar. Women and children were among the participants, who raised slogans calling for the immediate reopening of the borders.

Speakers said the closure, in place since 2025, had dealt a severe blow to middle-class pilgrims who rely on overland travel because they cannot afford air fares. “Depriving travellers of visits to these sites is a great injustice,” one leader told the gathering.

They said the government had made similar promises to reopen the border the previous year but had not followed through. With air travel beyond the means of most intending pilgrims, the road route remained their only viable option.

The organisers appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir to reopen the borders without further delay.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2026