QUETTA: Pakistani officials say hundreds of students and pilgrims evacuated after Israeli airstrikes on Iran will return to their homes across the country today, Wednesday. They had arrived in Quetta a day earlier.
Quetta is the capital of Balochistan province, which borders Iran.
Commissioner Quetta, Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat, said 545 pilgrims and 207 students crossed into Pakistan from Iran through the Taftan border. He said the government has arranged transport to send them home.
“We are trying to keep them in Quetta tonight,” Shafqaat told Reuters. “There are restrictions on night travel from Quetta. Some roads have security issues. We want to avoid any unfortunate incidents.”
Musharraf Abbas, one of the returning students, studies at the Iran University of Medical Sciences.
“The Iranian military base was just 1.5 kilometers from our hostel,” he said. “They were attacked late Friday night around 3:30 a.m. High-level officers, scientists, and Revolutionary Guard leaders were killed.”
Pakistan closed its Panjgur border crossing with Iran on Sunday, June 15, due to rising tensions. However, the busy Taftan border remains open for repatriation and trade.
On Tuesday, officials confirmed that 214 Pakistani students from Iran reached the Taftan crossing. Most of them studied medical and engineering courses.
Iran and Israel exchanged new missile strikes on Wednesday. The air war has now entered its sixth day, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for Iran’s unconditional surrender.
