AhlulBayt News Agency: Ayatollah Hafiz Syed Riaz Hussain Najafi, head of Pakistan’s Shia Schools Alliance, has called on the government to either reopen land routes for Arbaeen pilgrims or fully subsidize air travel costs for those wishing to visit the holy shrines in Iraq.
In a speech criticizing the continued closure of overland pilgrimage routes, Ayatollah Najafi said the government’s failure to ensure safe passage had both disappointed the faithful and highlighted its inability to manage security.
“Thousands of lovers of Imam Hussein (AS) have been preparing for months to walk the sacred path from Najaf to Karbala,” he said. “By closing the land route, the government has not only hurt their hearts but shown it is unwilling or unable to fulfill its duty.”
He emphasized that ensuring the safety and infrastructure for religious journeys is a clear legal responsibility of the state. “Security challenges should be addressed — not used as an excuse to erase the opportunity altogether,” he added.
Expressing confidence in the country's security forces, Ayatollah Najafi said Pakistan’s institutions are capable of securing the pilgrimage if the government has the will to act.
Concluding his remarks, he warned of public dissatisfaction if the issue remains unresolved. “Our clear expectation is this: either open the land routes with adequate security or provide financial support for air travel so that no pilgrim is deprived of this spiritual journey to the shrine of Imam Ali (AS).”
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