Pakistani pilgrims denied entry to Baghdad

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.
raq 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 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.