Stranded: Pakistani pilgrims denied entry to Baghdad

The pilgrims were denied entry due to the ongoing election process in Baghdad which will continue till April 20, 2013.

BAGHDAD/ ISLAMABAD: Pakistani pilgrims travelling to the holy cities of Kerbala in Iraq were stranded at the Baghdad airport due to local elections.

Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhray said on Friday that the Pakistan Embassy in Baghdad is in contact with the relevant authorities in Iraq to resolve the issue.

He said that the pilgrims were denied entry to Iraq because of the provincial governorate elections that are due to be held on April 20.

The Embassy of Pakistan has advised Pakistani pilgrims to defer their visit to Iraq until after the completion of the election process, even if they have valid visas, he added.

Iraq ups security as attacks kill 37 ahead of vote

Iraq ramped up security on Friday on the eve of its first election since US troops left, as attacks, including a bombing at a Baghdad cafe, killed 37 people in a spike in unrest before polling day.
The deadly violence just before Saturday's provincial election raises further questions about the credibility of the polls, with 14 candidates killed and a third of Iraq's provinces -- all of them mainly Sunni Arab or Kurdish -- not even voting.
The election is seen as a key test of Iraq's stability and security, and will provide a gauge of the popularity of the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ahead of a general election next year.
But attacks on Thursday and Friday that left 37 dead increased concerns about the ability of Iraqi forces to assure security for the polls.
An estimated 13.8 million Iraqis are eligible to vote for more than 8,000 candidates, with 378 seats being contested.
It is the first vote since March 2010 parliamentary polls, and the first since US forces withdrew from Iraq in December 2011.
Diplomats have raised questions over the credibility of the vote due to the violence, which they say could reduce turnout and lead to results that are not representative.
Iraqi forces will be responsible for security on polling day, the first time they will be in charge without support from American or other international forces during elections since dictator Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003.