Staff Reporters
Islamabad/Peshawar
Pakistan-Iran border has continued to shut on fourth day Wednesday as fears across the region grows over a jump in new coronavirus infections. The government has arranged special screening process for proper checkup of over 270 quarantined passengers, who have been provided temporary residence at the border.
‘We have decided not to take a chance and keep all of them under observation for the next 15 days,’ Najeebullah Qambrani, assistant commissioner at the Taftan border crossing told. Balochistan’s secretary of health Mudassir Malik confirmed the quarantine but estimated that between 200 and 250 were being held. He added that around 7,000 pilgrims had returned to Pakistan from Iran this month alone.
Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid said that the government has decided to hold rail services with Iran to prevent coronavirus outbreak in Pakistan. In a statement, the minister said that four trains have been suspended for indefinite time period in this regard. The decision was taken following closure of Pakistan-Iran border in a wake of coronavirus threat, he added.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Director General Health Department Dr Tahir Nadeem Wednesday said the provincial government has released Rs 100 million grant to cope with any emergency related to corona virus in the region. Talking to media here, he said that effective measures have been put in place to curb outbreak of Corona virus, adding that thermal screening is being performed at Pak-Afghan border to check the disease.
