ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar Monday said that Israel cannot dare cast the evil eye on Pakistan. He said this while addressing the Upper House of the Parliament here. He expressed deep concern over the spread of false information and AI-generated content on social media after the 13 June events.
He said that a widely circulated interview of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claimed to be from the recent past, was actually from 2011. “Such deceptive content is causing confusion, and is being monitored closely by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.” he told the House. He said Pakistan has made arrangements to issue visas on arrival to 20,000 Iranian pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia to facilitate their return back to their homeland in the wake of closure of Iran’s airspace.
The visas on arrival would be issued at the Karachi airport, he said, briefing the House on the steps Pakistan has taken after Iran’s airspace closure following the latter’s heightened hostility with Israel. “Iran approached us on 13 June and said that their airspace is closed, and can Pakistan help them. We replied positively— we will issue visas on arrival to Iranian pilgrims at Karachi airport. Then, they would be sent to Iran by road or through air shuttle service, whatever option Iran deems suitable,” said Dar, who also holds the portfolio of Foreign Minister, and Leader of the House in Senate.
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“By the way, Saudi Arabia also announced, after us, that Iranian pilgrims are their guests, and that they can stay in Saudi Arabia till the situation in Iran is settled,” Dar said.
He said a Crisis Management Unit has been activated in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), functional 24/7, for the repatriation of Pakistanis stranded in Iran. A hotline is also functional in Pakistan’s embassy in Tehran. So far, he said, 251 Pakistan students have been evacuated from Iran, landing at Quetta airport by (Monday) night. The evacuation of more than 500 pilgrims including around or over 300 pilgrims who flew to Iran, and 209 pilgrims who went to Iraq by road, is under way, the deputy PM said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025