ISLAMABAD – As tensions between Iran and Israel escalate, hundreds of Pakistani citizens who were living or traveling in Iran have returned home, sharing harrowing accounts of fear, chaos, and destruction.
Mohammad Hassan, a student at the University of Tehran, recently returned to Pakistan and described the terrifying experience. “Those nights were horrifying,” he said. “Sirens were always blaring, people were screaming, and there was constant fear of missile strikes.” He added that over 500 Pakistani students at the university are now heading back home.
Hassan recounted how missile attacks struck near central Tehran, including one incident targeting a student hostel, injuring several students. He said, “At night, we could see drones flying and missiles lighting up the sky. It felt like we were living in a war zone.”
The Foreign Office confirmed that around 3,000 Pakistanis have been repatriated since Israeli airstrikes hit Iran last week. Another returnee, 41-year-old petroleum engineer Muhammad Khalil, shared that Tehran had become deserted. “Streets were empty, and people were packing their belongings and fleeing the city,” he recalled.
Abdul Ghani Khan, a trader from Peshawar, was in Tehran for medical equipment purchases when the attacks began. “We saw drones, anti-aircraft lights, and a building set ablaze. The whole city was gripped by fear,” he said. With the airspace shut and borders sealed, he had to return via land, crossing the Taftan border alongside other stranded families.
Meanwhile, Pakistani pilgrims who were visiting holy cities like Qom and Mashhad had their trips cut short. Lawyer Muhammad Asif, from Lahore, said he was forced to leave after a missile landed near Mashhad airport. Another pilgrim, Samreen Ali, who was in a mosque with her family, recalled hearing two loud blasts mid-prayer.
As the region stands on the brink of wider conflict, returning citizens expressed deep concern over the future. Many, like Syed Saqib, had to sleep in bus terminals and take long road journeys to reach the Pakistan-Iran border. “At Taftan, we saw many families with heavy luggage waiting to cross,” he said calmly, “hoping to return safely to their homeland.”