IHC turns down plea seeking repatriation of pilgrims from Iran

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday turned down a petition seeking the court's directions to bring back Pakistani pilgrims from Iran due to coronavirus outbreak.
A single bench of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition and dismissed the same by terming it as non-maintainable.
The IHC bench observed that it was a policy matter and the court could not interfere in it.
Justice Athar remarked that it trust the government as the entire world was facing the coronavirus pandemic.
The court also advised the petitioner to approach the concerned authorities over the matter as it falls under the domain of the Foreign Ministry.
During the hearing, the counsel for petitioners contended that visas of Pakistanis stranded in Iran had expired.
The chief justice remarked that it was an international issue and court could not pass any ruling on it.
Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen leader Syed Nasir Abbas Sherazi moved the petition through Fida Hussain Rana and cited secretary to the prime minister, secretary Interior, secretary Foreign Affairs, secretary Defense and chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) as respondents.
The petitioner submitted that thousands of Pakistani pilgrims were stranded in Iran and the impression was being created here that all the problems related to coronavirus in the country were due to them.
The petition stated that Pakistanis who travel to Iran, Iraq and Syria for pilgrimage to the holy shrines were usually given visas for 15 to 30 days, however, the visas of Pakistanis in Iran had either expired or were about to expire.
It added that they were now stranded in the country because the government had suspended all international flights.
It further stated that while special flights were operated to repatriate Pakistanis stuck in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Europe, the government's lack of interest in bringing back those stuck in Iran was putting their lives at risk.