Pak-Iran border closed over coronavirus fears

islamabad — The Pakistan government on Sunday closed its land border with Iran, while Afghanistan suspended travel to the neighbouring country as fears across the region continued to grow over a jump in new coronavirus infections.

Both Pakistan and Afghanistan share long, porous borders with Iran that are often used by smugglers and human traffickers— raising fears that the virus could easily spread over the border.

The government in Balochistan imposed emergency in all of the province’s districts that share a border with Iran with immediate effect.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday contacted Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Alyani and discussed options to stop the virus from entering the country,

Dawn News reported. He asked Alyani to take all protective measures in the province along the porous border with Iran.

The Balochistan government has also imposed a ban on the travel of pilgrims from Pakistan into Iran by road and has asked the provincial home department to coordinate with other provinces in this regard.

At least a hundred pilgrims were called back to Quetta from the Taftan border while special check posts have been established to monitor their movement.

Official sources said the provincial health department had established an emergency centre and a control room at Taftan.

“Two doctors were already working at the control room at Taftan,” said an official of the health department, adding that a team of seven doctors equipped with thermal guns had been deployed in the town to carry out screening of pilgrims and other people crossing into Pakistan from Iran.