MLA Muntazir Mehdi Urges EAM Jaishankar to Evacuate Indian Students and Pilgrims from Conflict-Hit Iran

Srinagar | March 11, 2026 — Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and MLA Budgam, Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi, has formally approached Union External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, seeking the immediate and safe evacuation of Indian nationals currently stranded in Iran.

Highlighting the dire situation on social media, Mehdi emphasized that numerous students and pilgrims are caught in a state of extreme uncertainty due to the ongoing regional conflict.

He pointed out that these individuals are currently unable to arrange their own travel because of disrupted banking services, which has effectively frozen their access to funds. Consequently, the legislator has requested the Government of India to facilitate their urgent repatriation and provide air tickets to ensure their safe return home without placing a further financial burden on their distressed families.

This appeal follows a broader regional crisis that began on February 28, 2026, involving military strikes and the closure of airspace, which has left an estimated 1,200 to 2,000 Kashmiri students and a significant number of pilgrims from Ladakh vulnerable.

While the Ministry of External Affairs has already repatriated thousands from the wider region and established a dedicated control room, the collapse of local infrastructure in Iran remains a critical hurdle, prompting this urgent call for state-sponsored intervention to protect Indian citizens.