PRAYAGRAJ, June 20 -- When Syed Ghazanfar Abbas, a former TTE in the railways, left home on May 25 with his son Sarwar Abbas and daughter Tathhir Fatima for pilgrimage to Iraq and Iran, the family was not only happy but also thanked the Almighty for this opportunity.

However, the situation is no longer the same in war-torn Iran and now the relatives of Abbas, a Rani Mandi resident, are a worried lot as the family was supposed to return to Delhi on June 13, but they are still stuck there.

Over 150 pilgrims from the district are stuck in Iran and their family members are awaiting their safe return.

Abbas's younger brother Syed Zafar Abbas, an advocate in Allahabad High Court, said that unexpected war-like conditions have left the entire ...